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

[Buckskin86]

August 3, 2011
Breakout frontcourt players for 2011/2012
Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer

Ohio State F Deshaun Thomas: This former five-star prospect provided instant offense off the bench as a freshman with the Buckeyes. Thomas averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while playing only 14 minutes per game. Much of his production came before Ohio State started Big Ten play, but Thomas also had a 22-point game against Indiana and scored 13 points in an NCAA tournament triumph over UT San Antonio. The departures of David Lighty and Jon Diebler could allow Thomas to move into the starting lineup this season. Thomas arrived at Ohio State as the No. 22 prospect in the 2010 recruiting class.

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1246570

 

[Bill Lucas]

I like Thomas' all around aggressive attitude. He obviously is not the passive type. Once he clean it up a bit (better shot selection, improve his positioning, etc), he's going to be a huge asset to the team. With his confidence it seems like he plays bigger than he really is.

Bingo.

Thomas is a pure scorer. The type of pure scorer that doesn't come around all that often. He's going to take questionable shots and he's going to put up huge numbers. Thad Matta stated near the end of last season that he didn't have a problem with Thomas' shot selection. If our very successful coach doesn't have a problem with it then neither do I.

 

[NINJA BUCK13]

Bingo.

Thomas is a pure scorer. The type of pure scorer that doesn't come around all that often. He's going to take questionable shots and he's going to put up huge numbers. Thad Matta stated near the end of last season that he didn't have a problem with Thomas' shot selection. If our very successful coach doesn't have a problem with it then neither do I.

Yea, I agree. I think he'll have better shot selection as his game matures but I'm sure Matta will continue to give Deshaun the green light. He's good for atleast one shot a game that as soon as he throws it up you sayin' 'no no no' and then he makes it and you think 'good shot Deisel'

That sums up Deshaun right there.

 

[generaladm]

One thing that stood out to me last season, even when he struggled early on, was the touch he has on shots from about '10 and in. He just has that natural knack for getting the ball in the hoop, no matter how crazy it may look. The first half of last season, it seemed like he was still growing in to his body a bit, kind of awkward in his movements. Later on, he smoothed things out a little, and I think became more aware of how he needed to space himself. I hope that he and Sully are working on the inside passing game. If they can get a defender turned around, it's only a pass or a step for 2 pts. Too bad Mike Tisdale won't be around for them to embarrass the shit out of (more so than he did on his own).

 

[NINJA BUCK13]

I wondered last season if he was banged up a little bit. I know his game doesn't look smooth and is a little unorthodox but he seemed to have a hobble to his step. He appeared to have a knee/ankle/foot issue but it could just be that Indiana swagger. It's hard to tell.

 

[MaxBuck]

I seem to recall several BP posters questioning Evan Turner's "shot selection" during his National Player of the Year season.

Enough said. What the average fan knows about "shot selection" is not worth a fart in a windstorm.

 

[Oh8ch]

I seem to recall several BP posters questioning Evan Turner's "shot selection" during his National Player of the Year season.

Enough said. What the average fan knows about "shot selection" is not worth a fart in a windstorm.

Good news is none of those average fans post over here.

I also thought Thomas was quick with the trigger, but rarely sat after firing. That tells me Matta wants him shooting.

 

[NINJA BUCK13]

Good news is none of those average fans post over here.

I also thought Thomas was quick with the trigger, but rarely sat after firing. That tells me Matta wants him shooting.

^^^Post of the day.^^^

Max must be grumpy tonight.

I think Matta and Thomas understood what his role was last season as being a spark off of the bench as a scorer. Thomas should take better shot's this season and with his touch around the rim I expect him to shoot around 50%. He will most likely be the most improved player from last season's team, assuming that Sibert or Spoon don't burst onto the scene more than expected.

 

[wigmon]

I think the "complaints" about ET weren't shot selection, but driving into the defense too far at times.

Some of Thomas' shots were questionable. Even in the Illini game, I remember reading that after he hit those two quick threes that Matta told him only to take good threes. I think Matta tires to be as encouraging as possible because he doesn't want kids thinking about it too much in the game, but he knew there were times DT had too quick of a trigger and its the main reason he had so many single digit minute games.

Now, the good thing about frosh is that they become sophs, so if DT becomes a little more patient he will find himself getting good looks quite often.

 

[lord vegas]

Rivals piece on Diesel:

Boals on Deshaun's shot selection:

"That's who Deshaun is: He's wired to score," Boals said. "... With experience, he might learn a little better shot selection and how to get certain shots different ways. Coach [Thad] Matta is the type of the guy where if he's going to recruit the best in the country, he's going to let them play."

 

[NINJA BUCK13]

Thomas Ready For Bigger, Yet Different Role

By Ari Wasserman
Staff Writer
Posted Aug 24, 2011

Thomas Ready For Bigger, Yet Different Role

Deshaun Thomas never met a shot he didn?t like during his freshman season at Ohio State, so head coach Thad Matta promptly introduced him to the bench.
The transition from high school to collegiate basketball may have been about as dramatic as possible for Thomas, who was only concerned with one thing before getting to Ohio State ? scoring by any means possible.

With an immense size advantage over the competition while playing high school ball in Fort Wayne, Ind., Thomas scored all the way to being named the No. 24 high school basketball prospect Scout.com, even if that meant allowing other aspects of the game to take a backseat.

In high school that approach worked for Thomas, making him one of the nation?s most coveted prospects and a star. In college, however, it made him a role player off the defensive-minded Matta?s bench.

?I was shooting from anywhere in high school,? Thomas admitted. ?I was the lead scorer in high school scoring all the points. ?It was kind of different on my part coming in. In college you cant force shots like you did in high school. High school I did anything I wanted.?

Cont...

http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/1098889.html

 

[Bill Lucas]

Not a fan of that article. I think Thomas' contributions to the team last year were more than the writer made them out to be. Seems like he isn't a fan of Thomas' game and he made it clear in the article.

 

[MaxBuck]

Not a fan of that article. I think Thomas' contributions to the team last year were more than the writer made them out to be. Seems like he isn't a fan of Thomas' game and he made it clear in the article.

Jeff Boals's comments are helpful in understanding how DeShaun was regarded by the coaches:

"He scored 3,000 points in high school and you can?t change your mentality," assistant coach Jeff Boals said. "That was kind of his role last year, to provide offense off the bench and be that spark plug which he was."

 

[NINJA BUCK13]

----THIS SEASON'S X-FACTOR----

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas ready to emerge for men's basketball
By Michael Periatt
[email protected]
Published: Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Ohio State sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas is a shooter, but not in the same way Jon Diebler, former OSU guard and all-time Big Ten leader in made three pointers, was.

Thomas is a shooter because he likes to shoot ? a lot.

In high school, Thomas shot whenever he wanted because that's what his team asked him to do. When he graduated, he was the No. 3-leading scorer in the history of the basketball-rich state of Indiana.

So when Thomas came to OSU as a freshman, Thomas did what he had always done. He kept shooting.

He was shooting so much that coach Thad Matta had to tell him to slow down, but at the same time he didn't want to discourage Thomas to the point that he lost confidence.

"He's one of the best scorers in the nation," OSU sophomore forward James "JD" Weatherspoon said. "You can't take that away from his game. He's going to knock down shots. It's what he does."

Thomas averaged 7.5 points a game in an average of 14 minutes of action as a freshman last year. His ability to score a high volume of points in a short amount of time earned him the nickname of "microwave offense."

This year, with the departure of seniors Diebler, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale, who started the majority of the games last year, Thomas plans to step into a starting role for the upcoming season.

It's a role Matta, along with Thomas's teammates, said he's grown to accept.

"He's got a much better understanding of how to play," Matta said. "He understands the importance of the defensive end of it. He understands the importance of the pass, the moving, the rebounding. I've been very, very pleased with his progress."

cont...

http://www.thelantern.com/sports/oh...e-for-men-s-basketball-1.2655994#.TqAOW7LZeuI