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

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What position does Thomas play in the NBA? He is way too small for a 4. He is a 3 all the way in the NBA in my mind. Can he defend the other 3's? His foot speed seems slow. However, I have always felt Paul Pierce seems slow, and he has always risen to the occasion. I think Thomas can do it, if only because we have seen what he can do when he works at something. More than any other player at OSU the last two years, Thomas has attacked perceived weaknesses (shot selection, defense) and turned them into strengths.
 
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OhioState2110;2130919; said:
I'll take that bet, he'll probably get drafted #11 lol. I'm not saying that I think DeShaun won't be good in the NBA I think he can be great, but the thing is in the NBA it is hard to even get your chance if your not a 1st rounder, so if he doesn't see his stock drematically rise he shouldnt declare. He may be a mid to late 2nd round pick but in a year he could be a lottery pick. His decision I know but I do t want to see him forced overseas or in the D-League.
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Anyone remember sixth man Daequan Cook?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daequan_Cook
 
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I watch a fair share of the NBA. Love my Thunder. Love my Buckeyes. Love Deshaun`s game for the Buckeyes. I think he has a stretch 4 game with a 3 size. I don't think he has a position in the NBA. He won't be able to defend either position in the pros.
 
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Thomas reunited with first love: Scoring
Zac Jackson
March 23, 2012

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''It's just knowing to be patient and not force shots, knowing where the right spots (are) and knocking 'em down,'' says Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas.
(Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE)

BOSTON ? He's the NCAA Tournament's leading scorer and maybe its breakout star, a natural scorer who was such a liability in other ways as a freshman a year ago that his Sweet 16 appearance was limited to three minutes, one shot and one rebound.

Fast forward a year and the only thing limiting Deshaun Thomas' productivity is the fact that there's only one basketball on the floor. An older, lighter, wiser and more complete player is playing multiple roles for Ohio State and playing them well. Except for a run late in Thursday's regional semifinal win over Cincinnati dominated by Jared Sullinger, Thomas has been the most dominant Buckeye on the floor.

Ohio State is still known nationally as Sullinger's team. Aaron Craft is still the fearless, baby-faced point guard loved by all except those he's guarding. Senior William Buford is the fourth-leading scorer in Ohio State history.

Lately, though, the Buckeyes have been in top form and Thomas has been the guy getting the most buckets.

"People are starting to notice now what Deshaun can bring to the table," Thomas said Friday, and since he's clearly not scared to attack three defenders, what's wrong with a little third person?

Saturday night, his ability to score both inside and out ? and his uncanny ability to score in the air around the rim on putbacks ? will be key to Ohio State's chances of beating top-seeded Syracuse in the East Regional final. If you're going to attack a zone defense, it's never bad to have a multi-talented player like the 6-foot-7 Thomas to do it.

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http://www.foxsportsohio.com/03/23/...ing_ohiostate.html?blockID=694632&feedID=8889

Ohio State's Thomas a true believer
Originally published: March 23, 2012
By GREG LOGAN [email protected]
Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas celebrates as time

BOSTON -- Jim Boeheim's trademark 2-3 zone may have withstood Wisconsin's bombardment of 14 three-pointers in the NCAA East Regional semifinals, but if you ask Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas, he will tell you Syracuse is in trouble once Deshaun Thomas gets going in the regional final Saturday night at TD Bank Garden.

Uh, yes, Thomas sometimes refers to himself in the third person, but not in a haughty, LeBron James kind of way. It's part of his un-self-conscious charm.

For instance, mention how Thomas has emerged as the NCAA Tournament's leading scorer, averaging 25.0 points and 8.7 rebounds through three games, and he says, "People are starting to notice now what Deshaun can bring to the table, but I just care about winning. Once we all make it to that promised land, we all get love.''

The promised land is the Final Four in New Orleans, and the road goes through a Syracuse zone that is missing 7-foot anchor Fab Melo blocking shots. Since Melo's suspension for unspecified reasons, his role has been filled by 6-9 Rakeem Christmas and 6-10 Baye Keita. Thomas sees a mismatch he and All-American forward Jared Sullinger can attack.

"I think we've got a big advantage,'' Thomas said. "Those guys really don't move their feet well, and they go after every shot fake. Myself and Jared need to just stretch them out and get in the open seams and knock down shots.

"We match up well with them. Me and Jared can bang with those guys. Wisconsin is a three-point-shooting team.''

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/colle...ohio-state-s-thomas-a-true-believer-1.3620363
NCAA Tournament 2012: Deshaun Thomas 'arrives' just in time to bolster Buckeyes' title hopes
Sean Deveney Sporting News


BOSTON — There was a point in the second game of Ohio State's NCAA Tournament run, a win over Gonzaga, that coach Thad Matta recalled Friday.

Sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas had what would be a considered a pretty good look, the kind of shot that, over most of his career, he would regularly chuck at the rim. Instead, Matta watched as Thomas moved the ball along to guard William Buford, who was even more open. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping play by any stretch, but it stuck with Matta.

“I kind of said to myself, ‘He’s arrived,’ ” Matta said.

To be certain, we should not confuse Thomas with Bob Cousy. Assists are not his thing and probably never will be. It has been more than two months since he logged a game with three-plus assists, and in three Ohio State NCAA Tournament games, he has two total assists.

Still, Matta has seen a level of maturity from Thomas lately that wasn’t there before, an understanding of how to be a more well-rounded player. He also sees a guy who, on both ends of the floor, might well hold the key to Ohio State’s hopes of reaching the Final Four for just the third time in the last four decades.

“I think from the standpoint of, you look and he came in with a mentality of being a scorer and the one thing, in the two years he’s been here, we’ve talked to him a lot about is, there’s so many other ways that he can affect our team in a positive way,” Matta said. “I think back to last year, defensively, he was trying so hard, but he had to think everything through.

"Now, he is playing and he is just reacting.”

Thomas has been on a roll lately, including the 26 points he posted against Cincinnati on Thursday. He has averaged 20.7 points since scoring 25 in a tight loss to Michigan in mid-February. He is shooting 55.6 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament, putting up 25.0 points per game.

The more opponents focus on stopping All-American Jared Sullinger—who continues to develop into an excellent passer when double-teamed in the post—the more Thomas has developed a rapport with Sullinger.

That will leave a pick-your-poison choice for Syracuse on Saturday: allow Sullinger one-on-one coverage in the Orange’s zone defense or bring help and risk being burned by Thomas.

“It’s very critical,” Sullinger said. “But, in their zone, they don’t really double-team the basketball. So, hopefully, I can make a play out of that. But I am always conscious of where Deshaun is.”

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Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...thomas-arrives-just-in-time-to-#ixzz1q2K2QH9l

Deshaun Thomas' 4th grade love affair elevates Buckeyes in NCAA Tournament
By Michael Periatt
[email protected]
Updated: Saturday, March 24, 2012

BOSTON — Deshaun Thomas and scoring have had a love affair dating back to when he was in the fourth grade.

At a gym in his native state of Indiana, he was just shooting around. Hook shots, bank shots, long shots and short shots – they were all going in.

“That’s when I knew I was something special,” Thomas said. “I was in a gym throwing up shots and they (were) going in. I was just hitting them and doing everything. I knew I was going to be a scorer.”

And a scorer he became.

In middle school, he once had 44 points, 33 rebounds and 11 blocks in a single game. With performances like that, it didn’t take long until other people thought he was special, too.

Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta knew Thomas before he was in high school and Thomas verbally committed to play basketball for the Matta's squad in the eighth grade.

Thomas said he was taller than everybody then, but things didn’t change much when he got to high school.

During his freshman year, he scored a career-high 52 points in a varsity game. Throughout his high school career, Thomas said the ball was in his hands "110 percent of the time.”

It was a scorer's dream. His team and coach wanted him to shoot and score as much as he possibly could.

“I had that green light,” he said. “I mean that light-green light.”

So, Thomas let it fly and eventually shot his way into the history books.

By the time he graduated, he was the No. 3-leading scorer in the history of the basketball-rich state of Indiana.

Then, Thomas arrived at OSU for his freshman year, and for the first time in his life he wasn’t the focal point of the offense.

In fact, he wasn’t even in the starting lineup.

Thomas said the adjustment wasn't easy.

“For me, not playing (was the hardest thing),” Thomas said. “Coming from a high school where I played every minute, touching the ball every time and having that green light, that was very hard not playing because you want to be out there.”

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http://www.thelantern.com/sports/de...yes-in-ncaa-tournament-1.2826709#.T229xtXd2Ag
 
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buckeyeintn;2132052; said:
DeShaun may not have had his biggest game scoring, but he had a huge game. It's been so much fun watching him become a complete player. His rebounding, defense and passing were all vital tonight.
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Passing was great! How much has this guy developed his game over the past year!?
 
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