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

[jwinslow]

we don't win without deshaun's spark. he was the catalyst for the comeback.

i think i'm done cringing when thomas wastes no time putting up his first shot. make or miss, i just chuckle now.

A more graceful Sylvester?

 

[dragurd]

heh and to think he had two offensive rebs and putbacks taken away by foul calls on the shot.

 

[GoBuckUrself]

New To The Board

I guarantee you Matta has given Thomas the 'Green Light' to shoot whenever he wants to. One thing Matta does well is letting his players play. Thomas is a scorer, so you know Matta told him to shoot when he see's the shot.

He reminds me A LOT like Burford as a Freshman. Buford would force a ton of shots but he was a scorer and he kept shooting. The best way to get out of a slump is to shoot. Sometimes, it is tough for these freshman players to adjust to the college game. Diebler and Lighty both come to mind as well.


:osu:

 

[Buckskin86]

Thomas: yet another fearless freshman
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Columbus Dispatch

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Ohio State freshmen can play.

That isn't really news 20 games into a 20-0 season. But the point was jackhammered home yesterday in an environment so loud and hostile, it could have turned a hard-boiled international spy into a sniveling mama's boy.

Assembly Hall was the place where the No.1 Buckeyes were supposed to crack like a dropped egg, a building where the timorous, domesticated Big Ten they had been dominating would turn into a ferocious, fire-breathing beast. It did, too, but the kids were fearless.

Freshman center Jared Sullinger had 27 points and 16 rebounds - given his play so far, the take-it-for-granted crowd is probably suppressing a yawn over that - and freshman point guard Aaron Craft shut down Illinois senior Demetri McCamey, who used to spend his time trying to prove that he was the equal of former Ohio State star Evan Turner. With 15.2 seconds left and Ohio State up by three, Craft calmly stepped up and made two free throws in the 73-68 victory.

But the surprise guest star of this frenetic road drama was freshman Deshaun Thomas, who joined Sullinger and Craft on the floor with 10:37 remaining, the Buckeyes down by six and William Buford headed to the bench because of a sore ankle. In the next 91/2 minutes, the 6-foot-6 forward hit a pair of three-pointers, scored under the basket and played aggressive defense. When he went to the bench for air with 1:04 left, Ohio State led 68-61.

That was the same Thomas who was 0 of 9 on threes in the past seven games. For him to hit those shots in the face of this crowd and this pressure says something about the kind of environments in which his talents were incubated.

"I'm a scorer, that's what I do," Thomas said. "Coach (Thad Matta) puts me in the game to put it in the basket and also work on my defense. There's no hesitation. You've got to treat every shot like it's a winning shot. I played through it in high school, took big shots even in the state championship. That's what I did, took big shots, and they went in."

Cont...

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...as-yet-another-fearless-freshman.html?sid=101

 

[Onebuckfan]

Af ter Saturday..the new "Microwave" instant offense >

 

[LitlBuck]

I guarantee you Matta has given Thomas the 'Green Light' to shoot whenever he wants to. One thing Matta does well is letting his players play. Thomas is a scorer, so you know Matta told him to shoot when he see's the shot.

I don't think that Thomas needs to be told by anyone to shoot the ball. It's in his blood. When he got the ball on the right side the first time and was beyond the three-point arc, I don't think any of us thought that that ball was going to be put airborne. I guess we will have to learn to live with his misses but I would also like to see more of the below in future games.

BB73:

The other noteworthy thing from the last game was the time Thomas was placed at the top of the key against a zone defense. He got the ball and hit a jumper, but that's also a spot from which he can get to the basket with one dribble. I'd much rather have him in that spot against a zone than just roaming around the 3-point line.

 

[brutus2002]

I say nothing!!

 

[PtownBuckeye]

I guess we will have to learn to live with his misses but I would also like to see more of the below in future games.

The man shoots the third best field goal percentage on the team behind Sullinger and Dallas.

 

[heisman]

I don't think that Thomas needs to be told by anyone to shoot the ball. It's in his blood. When he got the ball on the right side the first time and was beyond the three-point arc, I don't think any of us thought that that ball was going to be put airborne. I guess we will have to learn to live with his misses but I would also like to see more of the below in future games.

BB73:

I'd like to see them go a little high/low with DT and JS. The more ways you can loosen things up down low for JS, the better.

 

[LitlBuck]

* I watch Deshaun Thomas and can only laugh. I have to believe that no player in college basketball takes more shots per amount of time the ball is in his hands. I tried to time how fast he got the ball and shot it ? let?s call it the Deshaun-O-Meter ? and the unofficial winner was .3 seconds. He came close to beating it several times. As I look at the stat sheet, the thing that might shock me the most on the entire page is that he was credited with two assists. For the season, he has played 343 minutes, taken 153 shots and been credited with 12 assists. Then again, he ain?t the point guard, and he can stroke it.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/01/26/rout-leaves-no-doubts.html?sid=101

 

[rocketman]

It is really amazing to see the improvement in DeShaun's game week after week.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

It is really amazing to see the improvement in DeShaun's game week after week.

Yes, defensively especially, he looks much more active and comfortable.

 

[Buckskin86]

If it's going to Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas, it's likely going up
Published: Saturday, January 29, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

Darron Cummings l The Plain DealerOhio State freshman Deshaun Thomas, front, leads the Buckeyes in percentage of shots taken, firing it up more than 30 percent of the time when he's in the game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Maybe the reason Deshaun Thomas shoots so much is that he's trying to make the world a happier place. The most amiable gunner you'll ever meet, the Ohio State men's basketball freshman smiled through every question about his shot choices during a news conference Friday, unable to control his laugh or his itch to fire at the rim almost as soon as he touches the ball. The giggles spread to teammate William Buford, seated next to him during the interview session.

"What do they call you?" Buford asked, needing a reminder about the forward's nickname.

"Tank. Thomas the Tank. Can't stop the Tank from shooting," Thomas said.

So what if the guy leads the Buckeyes in percentage of shots taken, firing it up more than 30 percent of the time when he's in the game? He scored 3,018 points at Bishop Luers High School, third all-time in the history of Indiana high school basketball. You expected him to be defensive specialist?

"He's a scorer. I mean, nobody has a problem with his shots," said Buford, probably second among the Buckeyes in sometimes questionable jumpers. "When he shoots, we all think it's going in anyway."

Cont...

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/01/if_its_going_to_ohio_states_de.html

 

[scarletmike]

I watched the kid play on my high school's court several years ago (not against my team, thankfully lol, it was during the sectionals or regionals), and his game and personality has developed so much. I remember watching that game and saying to my mom next to me "OSU is pursuing this kid as a top recruit?" He was easily irritable, whined to the refs consistently, and honestly looked a little lost when he had to handle the ball. Yeah, the kid could score, but outside of his shot, I was very unimpressed.

Needless to say, I'm very happy with the improvements and that he's a Buckeye.

 

[Buckskin86]

?Thomas the Tank? keeps reloading, firing up shots
By Ben Axelrod
[email protected]
Updated: Monday, January 31, 2011

Cody Cousino / Asst. multimedia editor

Joining a new team with established veterans and the top high school recruit in the nation, Ohio State freshman forward Deshaun Thomas wasn't about to stop doing what he loves to do the most: shoot the basketball.

"It's funny 'cause everybody always talks about it," Thomas said, smiling. "I like to shoot; I like to score. I mean that's what everybody likes to do."

Thomas said he developed his passion for scoring at a young age. During his childhood in Fort Wayne, Ind., he and his basketball were inseparable.

"I always had a ball in my hand when I was young. I even took it to school," Thomas said. "I used to shoot it a lot at the parks and the YMCA."

Thomas' eagerness to shoot the ball carried over into his time at Bishop Luers High School, where he scored the third-most points in Indiana high school basketball history.

"In high school I had the green light since freshman year, so that became comfortable to me. So if I'm open, I'm going to try to shoot it," Thomas said. "I took a lot of shots in high school. I'd pull up to the volleyball line, halfcourt."

Despite joining a roster at OSU that includes three of the top 32 scorers in school history ? seniors Jon Diebler and David Lighty and junior William Buford ? as well as heralded freshman Jared Sullinger, Thomas never became gun-shy. His new teammates took notice of the forward's quick trigger, assessing him a nickname to poke fun at his willingness to shoot the ball anywhere, anytime.

"Thomas the Tank," Thomas said. "You can't stop the tank from shooting."

Cont...

http://www.thelantern.com/sports/thomas-the-tank-keeps-reloading-firing-up-shots-1.1949192

Thomas Earning New Nickname One Shot at a Time
By Brandon Castel

Deshaun Thomas has been called a lot of nicknames in his basketball career.

From “D-Train” to “Diesel” to “Big D,” most of them have had something to do with his first name, but his latest nickname has more to do with his last name; that and his game.

It couldn’t be more fitting for the smooth-stroking lefty.

Thomas the Tank loves to load up and shoot.
Photo by Jim Davidson Deshaun "The TanK" Thomas loads up and shoots.

“Tank. (They call me) Thomas the Tank,” he said when asked by teammate William Buford Friday.

“Can't stop the Tank from shooting.”

The freshman out of Indiana has shown glimpses of tremendous firepower this season, but hit or miss, the Tank is always ready to shoot.

Heading into Saturday’s game Northwestern, Thomas had played 343 minutes off the bench for Ohio State this season, and already taken 153 shots. That is one shot every 2.2 minutes he is on the court, and only five shots fewer than senior Jon Diebler, who has played more than twice as many minutes.

“In high school, I had the green light since freshman year,” said Thomas, who was Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana last season.

“So that came comfortably for me. So if I'm open, I just try to shoot it.”

http://www.the-ozone.net/hoops/10-11Mens/Michigan/Thomas_Tank.html