Another Arizona product that will considering his college options for next college season is former Valley Vista High School standout performer Elijah Thomas. One of the top overall prospects in Arizona's 2022 Class, Thomas made his decision last summer to go the junior college route, where he spent a full season at Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, and was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI All-Region Team, announced by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
Thomas, a 6-foot-6 freshman this season, played in (27) games and was named as a starter in (24) of them. He finished the season with 240 points and averaged nine points a game. Thomas was a 3rd Team All-Region selection for his performance during his freshman season.
The DMACC men's basketball team finished the season with a 24-8 record and an 11-5 mark in the ICCAC. The Bears were ranked in the Top 20 of the NJCAA Division-II poll throughout the season, including several weeks in the top ten. DMACC was the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA Region XI Men's Basketball Championships and advanced to the semi-finals behind a 74-64 win over sixth-seeded Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) in the quarterfinals. Second-seeded Kirkwood ended the Bears' season with a 77-62 win in a semifinal matchup.
I caught up with Thomas this weekend, and he advised me that he is currently considering his options this spring. He is considering taking a Division-I college offer for next season, if the right program presents itself this spring in his recruitment, or he would also consider going back to DMACC for his sophomore season as well.
Thomas is a big-time athletic and offensive talent that has major upside for the future. He has the potential to become an NBA-level talent over time, as he has a nice offensive skillset that will only continue to develop a great deal over time with natural maturity. He gained loads of experience this season as a freshman, and will only continue to develop a great deal, as he loves the game and works tirelessly on his craft and body daily.
Currently, Thomas advised me that he is hearing from numerous Division-I programs, but is still waiting for the right offer to present itself to him. He is hopeful that his college experience will now take him to another level in his college recruitment, and he is very well deserving.
I have been very high on Thomas as a college prospect for some time. He was terrific in his performances during his high school career, but still flew well below the recruiting radar. Thomas has the body and skill-set that will allow him to play immediately next season at a Division-I college program, if the opportunity presents itself. Offensively, he is a difficult guard for opposing teams, as he has a very nice mid-range game (a lost art), and is able to make explosive moves off the dribble and pull up for a nice jumper over defenders. He is able to get to the rim, where he is a serious dunker. He is also a strong shooter of the basketball with excellent range on his shot, and can shoot the basketball off the dribble or from the stand-still position on the floor. He is an active rebounder and a strong finisher around the basket. He is also a very good ball handler for his size and has excellent versatility as a player.
Thomas is a tremendous talent and also is a very disciplined performer, as a result of his strong parenting from his father, who pushes his children to make good life decisions and work hard for their goals. Thomas is an excellent prospect for college programs to take a hard look at. He also has achieved a 3.8 CUM GPA this year during his freshman year of college, and was a full academic qualifier out of high school.
I will continue to follow Thomas's college recruitment closely this spring and early summer, and bring you any recruiting updates on him as they continue to develop.