 "Photo: Val Menning, The Volante, 2009")
Asked when he first started playing basketball, freshman guard Jake Thomas’ answer is, ‘I don’t know.’ He said he has been playing as long as he can remember, and the years are reflected in his talent.
In Friday’s game against Mayville State, Thomas scored three three-pointers during a 23-9 point Coyote run that thrashed apart Mayville’s attempt at a second half comeback. Thomas was the fourth highest scorer for the Coyotes, coming in that game with 12 points.
For a freshman, those stats in game four might be the highest yet. But two weeks ago, on Nov. 15 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Thomas proved he could do even more, launching in six of eight three-point attempts, combined with two free throws, for a 20 point game.
Assistant coach Joey James said the game against Texas A&M was a crucial moment for Thomas as a college player.
“In the games Friday and Saturday against Texas Tech and Oregon State, you could see the freshman in him,” James said. “Sunday, against Texas A&M, it was his coming out. And his confidence is only going to build from it.”
Throughout his high school years Thomas was a solid basketball player for St Catherine’s High School basketball team in Racine, Wis. As a sophomore, he averaged in the double digits point-wise each game (10.3) and hit 51 percent of his three-point attempts. Junior year he averaged 13 points per game and 83 percent from the free throw line. And as a senior, he led the team on their run for the Wisconsin AA Division 3 state championship. During the semifinals he scored 34 points and over his entire senior year he averaged 15.1 points per game.
Thomas credits his high school coach and new teammates for making the transition directly from high school to Division-I college basketball succeed.
“Coach did a good job,” Thomas said. “The other players are a lot faster but it’s not too bad. Playing with good guys makes it a lot easier.”
Thomas had experience playing big games in high school too. But while in high school, Thomas was more of an all around athlete, playing six sports—volleyball, cross country, track, golf, baseball and, of course, basketball.
“I was into a lot of different sports in high school,” Thomas said. “But basketball was always my thing.”
Those experiences, James said, have paid off for Thomas now that he is entering the starting line-up for the Coyotes as a true freshman.
“He’s played in big games before,” James said. “He knows what it’s about and he’s just that kind of athlete. He’s adjusted well and he could
go far with us.”
The trek to South Dakota came despite a broken wrist in June 2008, which forced him to sit out during the summer months just before his senior year. However, USD still expressed interest after watching him play and after some consideration, Thomas decided to come play for the Coyotes.
Thomas said it was great to finally have the chance to play D-I college basketball.
“It’s nice, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
Freshman forward Conrad Krutwig is Thomas’ roommate this year. Krutwig came to USD from Jacobs High School in Illinois, where he played basketball for four years.
Krutwig said the new players have been embraced by their older teammates as they learn the ropes of USD basketball.
“We learn as we go along,” Krutwig said. “There’s a definite bonding on the team, the older players did a good job welcoming us, and we do everything together, just fun stuff, shooting around after practice.”
Thomas said his cousin, who now plays basketball in Belgium on the European leagues, has always been an inspiration for him on the court and a player he’s looked up to in the past. They played basketball against each other almost every single day during the summers.
Before starting play with the Coyotes, Thomas said his cousin offered him some advice.
“He tells me not to be nervous but just to have fun with it,” Thomas said.
And it seems Thomas has taken his cousin’s advice to heart.
“When we first recruited him, he was very quiet. But he’s a pretty funny dude,” James said. “And in our eyes, he is no longer a freshman. He plays like an upper class type kid.”
Reach reporter Sarah Paulus at Sarah.Paulus@usd.edu.
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