• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

F DeShaun "The Diesel" Thomas (Panathinaikos - Greece)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
I have been following basketball recruiting for years. I really have to question if something is wrong with my eyes, or my head, but how is Deshaun Thomas no the number 1 ranked high schooler in the country? How is he not even top 10? I know hes had some issues over the summer with health, but just look at him. He is 6'7, in a body resembling Lebron's his first two years in the NBA. He can shoot, he rebounds, he hustles, he is unselfish, he can jump. I am not trying to bash JS as I think he is great too, but for my money Deshaun Thomas is the top high school player in the country.

Oh and I have watched many complete games of his, not just highlights. I dont know what his acchilles heal is or what the problem people see with him is. I wonder if his recruiting ranking was hurt by him choosing OSU so early and scouts not going out of their way to watch him + not much AAU success.
 
Upvote 0
Thaddeus;1635695; said:
I have been following basketball recruiting for years. I really have to question if something is wrong with my eyes, or my head, but how is Deshaun Thomas no the number 1 ranked high schooler in the country? How is he not even top 10? I know hes had some issues over the summer with health, but just look at him. He is 6'7, in a body resembling Lebron's his first two years in the NBA. He can shoot, he rebounds, he hustles, he is unselfish, he can jump. I am not trying to bash JS as I think he is great too, but for my money Deshaun Thomas is the top high school player in the country.

Oh and I have watched many complete games of his, not just highlights. I dont know what his acchilles heal is or what the problem people see with him is. I wonder if his recruiting ranking was hurt by him choosing OSU so early and scouts not going out of their way to watch him + not much AAU success.
Click to expand...
He is ranked number #18 by Rivals and rankings are so subjective I would not even worry about it. He is coming to Ohio State and that is the only thing that I am concerned about. He can prove how wrong the people were ranked him once he gets here.
 
Upvote 0
LitlBuck;1636351; said:
He is ranked number #18 by Rivals and rankings are so subjective I would not even worry about it. He is coming to Ohio State and that is the only thing that I am concerned about. He can prove how wrong the people were ranked him once he gets here.
Click to expand...


Oh I dont always believe ranking sites, I am just saying, even the sites dont seem to have a legitimate gripe about his game. The kid is 6'7, he hustles, plays with passion, can shoot (sometimes too much I will give them...not a ball hog, but will pass up driving lanes to pull up), can and will rebound, can drive. The crazy thing to think of is a lineup with Turner, Lighty, Thomas, Sullinger, Lauderdale. Sullinger, Turner and Thomas all seem to have a huge knack for going for the rebound. Lauderdale and Lighty are athletic freaks who can also rebound well. Not saying thats going to be the lineup at all, but that might be a pretty intimidating group out there.

My point isnt necessarily that he should be ranked higher, but I am curious what other people think he should be ranked. For my money he is the best high school player in the country. Not only that, but he has the potential to be the best NBA player in that class as well. His RSCI is 12th and his highest rank was 6th last summer. I am just curious what I am missing about this kid that more people arent just totally blown away by him. I see a lot of lineups not having him starting or being the 6th man...I just see no flaws in the kids game right now and with a few months in OSU S&C program I just think the sky is the limit for him next year.
 
Upvote 0
I could not tell you what the scouts are thinking and since I have not seen him play in person I really cannot tell you what they might think his deficiencies might be. When you watch video, it is very difficult to evaluate someone because you are not seeing the entire floor.
Lauderdale and Lighty are athletic freaks who can also rebound well.
Click to expand...
I think you are getting a little carried away with this comment but back to Thomas.
 
Upvote 0
LitlBuck;1637382; said:
I could not tell you what the scouts are thinking and since I have not seen him play in person I really cannot tell you what they might think his deficiencies might be. When you watch video, it is very difficult to evaluate someone because you are not seeing the entire floor.

I think you are getting a little carried away with this comment but back to Thomas.
Click to expand...

Ive seen Thomas in person several times and I have watched quite a few entire games of his online. Several are available. If you dont think Lauderdale and Lighty are athletic freaks I really cant help you. Both can rebound well, and I did list them in the second tier. Neither are game breakers on rebounds, but they hold their own. Lauderdales averaging 9 rebounds per 40 and as for Lighty, any guard who averages more than 5 rpg is a good rebounder.

Im actually curious what someone who has actually seen him play things. People at his games and from his school all seemed to believe he was the number one recruit in the nation. They seemed shocked when I said he was around the 12th. I have not seen a player that I deem as better than Thomas in this class.
 
Upvote 0
BISHOP DWENGER 65, BISHOP LUERS 56
Saints get final word against Knights
Hold Luers star Thomas to 18 in final rivalry game
Greg Jones
High school sports editor

Beating Bailey?
State?s boys top 5

1. Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence (1990): 3,134

2. Marion Pierce, Lewisville (1961): 3,019

3. Brody Boyd, Union (2000): 2,632

4. Rick Mount, Lebanon (1966): 2,595

5. Deshaun Thomas, Bishop Luers (2010): 2,561
Click to expand...

Bishop Luers senior Deshaun Thomas began making a name for himself across the street from Bishop Dwenger at Northwood Middle School. And the Ohio State recruit has tortured Dwenger almost ever since enrolling at the Saints? rival four years ago.

After dropping his first career game against the Saints, Thomas? teams had won four straight and that includes a last-second game-winner two years ago on the Saints? home floor. So Dwenger decided to save its best performance against Thomas for last in a 65-56 win over the Knights on Friday.

It was the last time the Saints will face the Mr. Basketball favorite.

And the Saints (5-4, 2-1 SAC) did it in style, holding Thomas to 18 points, tying his season-low.

?I am very, very happy we never have to play him again,? Dwenger coach Matt Kostoff said of Thomas. ?I told the guys in the locker room that when he is playing on Saturdays at Ohio State next year, you can have some bragging rights.
Click to expand...

Saints get final word against Knights | The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnBQOwlae6M]YouTube - Dwenger upsets Luers in a Battle of the Bishops[/ame]
 
Upvote 0
Thaddeus;1635695; said:
I have been following basketball recruiting for years. I really have to question if something is wrong with my eyes, or my head, but how is Deshaun Thomas no the number 1 ranked high schooler in the country? How is he not even top 10? I know hes had some issues over the summer with health, but just look at him. He is 6'7, in a body resembling Lebron's his first two years in the NBA. He can shoot, he rebounds, he hustles, he is unselfish, he can jump. I am not trying to bash JS as I think he is great too, but for my money Deshaun Thomas is the top high school player in the country.

Oh and I have watched many complete games of his, not just highlights. I dont know what his acchilles heal is or what the problem people see with him is. I wonder if his recruiting ranking was hurt by him choosing OSU so early and scouts not going out of their way to watch him + not much AAU success.
Click to expand...

Don't let those rankings fool you: Thomas is a top 5 player in the nation in this class. He was top 5 freshman and soph year by most scouting services, but has fallen off a bit the past couple seasons for whatever reason. I don't know what he has done to deserve a worse ranking.

Back to the team, they have a interesting week this upcoming week as far as games go. They play last year's 4A (big school) state runner up FW Snider who lost all of their talent from last year but is still decent, FW Blackhawk featuring 6'6" Michigan State recruit Russell Byrd on Saturday, then they play FW Harding next Friday featuring your RB recruit Rod Smith (jeez you like taking guys from our area!). Should be some good competition and some good games! And of course I did not forget about the big game next Saturday against Columbus Northland. Luers is a 2A school, maybe equivalent to a Division 4 school in Ohio. They had much more depth last year, and although they are having a pretty good season they are not quite as good as last year. So I pretty much expect Northland to take the game going away, but Thomas will get his points. Will be fun watching Thomas vs. Sullinger matchup.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Thomas is probably in the top 5-10 players in the nation. His outside shooting is inconsistent although improving. When he does shoot 3's it is never coming off screens. He is a spot up shooter or he dribbles into his shot. He is athletic, but doesn't jump out of the gym. He struggled against Detroit Country Day for 3 quarters until the game was out of reach. He struggled against Amir Williams size...size that he will be dealing with in college if he posts up.

No doubt he is one of the best Indiana High School players ever, but how that translate to the college game is somewhat of a mystery. He will be good, but one and done? I would guess not. I see him being in college for at least 2 years and maybe all 4.
 
Upvote 0
shock3;1640325; said:
Thomas is probably in the top 5-10 players in the nation. His outside shooting is inconsistent although improving. When he does shoot 3's it is never coming off screens. He is a spot up shooter or he dribbles into his shot. He is athletic, but doesn't jump out of the gym. He struggled against Detroit Country Day for 3 quarters until the game was out of reach. He struggled against Amir Williams size...size that he will be dealing with in college if he posts up.

No doubt he is one of the best Indiana High School players ever, but how that translate to the college game is somewhat of a mystery. He will be good, but one and done? I would guess not. I see him being in college for at least 2 years and maybe all 4.
Click to expand...

I think he'll be playing 3/4 (mostly 3) in college. Won't have to worry about posting up much. He's a face the basket player.

Jared Sullinger will be handling most of the posting up for the next few years at Ohio State.
 
Upvote 0
Bill Lucas;1640339; said:
I think he'll be playing 3/4 (mostly 3) in college. Won't have to worry about posting up much. He's a face the basket player.

Jared Sullinger will be handling most of the posting up for the next few years at Ohio State.
Click to expand...

I believe that as well. I just think his skills right now make him more of a 4 that will be transitioning to the 3 spot. He will have to work hard to make that work really well.
 
Upvote 0
FW Luers' Thomas has chance to pass Bailey for scoring record
By Kyle Neddenriep
Posted: January 13, 2010

The Next Big Thing.

That's the burden Deshaun Thomas has been saddled with since his days at Fort Wayne's Northwood Middle School. No sport is as relentless in its pursuit of "the next" as basketball, leading to inevitable backlash when prospects don't live up to the advanced billing.
Advertisement

Before Thomas played a varsity game, he was known to all of Fort Wayne. At 6-7, he skipped right past the awkward phase that frustrates most teenagers that size. Thomas dominated his peers. His eighth-grade coach told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that "he is maybe the next LeBron James, the next Michael Jordan. He is that good."

The Fort Wayne Bishop Luers senior has detractors, even as he stands within shouting distance of the state's career scoring record, arguably the most hallowed of all high school records in Indiana. After Tuesday's 42-point performance at Fort Wayne Snider, Thomas has scored 2,603 points.

"The knock on him is that he doesn't play hard all the time," said Fort Wayne Northrop coach Barak Coolman, who has watched Thomas for several years. "All I know is somehow he ends up with 40 points and 20 rebounds."
Click to expand...

FW Luers' Thomas has chance to pass Bailey for scoring record | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
Thomas' scoring impresses Mount
Former Lebanon star didn't have 3s in his day
By Kyle Neddenriep

The state's all-time high school boys basketball scoring chart could look dramatically different if the rules were the same in the 1960s as they are today.

"If we had a 3-point line back then?" asked former Lebanon star Rick Mount. "I don't know. I'm sure it would have changed things a little bit."

Mount graduated in 1966 with 2,595 points. Heading into this season, that was good for fourth on the list behind Damon Bailey, Marion Pierce and Brody Boyd. He is now fifth behind Fort Wayne Bishop Luers senior Deshaun Thomas (2,603 points), who soon could pass Boyd, who graduated from Union Dugger in 2000 with 2,632 points.

"I've had a chance to meet him once and he seems like a good kid," Mount said. "If he gets the record, he'll deserve it."
Click to expand...

Thomas' scoring impresses Mount | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
 
Upvote 0
shock3;1640417; said:
I believe that as well. I just think his skills right now make him more of a 4 that will be transitioning to the 3 spot. He will have to work hard to make that work really well.
Click to expand...
I don't mean to dismiss your insights at all, but it seems to me that college hoop is transitioning away from the pigeonholing of players into "ones," "twos," "fours," etc. Evan Turner is both a "one" and a "four" at the same time, as well as being a "wing player." John Wall is both a "one" and a "two." Certainly Kevin Durant could have worn several different numbers.

Some really good players will make a mockery of the numbering scheme. Time will tell whether, at the collegiate level, DeShaun will be such a player.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top