How sweet it finally is for Arizona product, Des Moines Area Junior College (IA) talented 6-foot-6 sophomore guard/forward Elijah Thomas. A product of Valley Vista High School (2021 graduate) and also a product of Skyline Prep, where he spent a post-graduate season, Thomas was one of the top prospects to come out of the state of Arizona over the past two years. After becoming one of the more impacted prospects from the COVID virus during his senior season, Thomas elected to head the junior college route to improve his college recruitment - resulting in a very successful two-year juco stint and now a big signing with Eastern Washington University.
Thomas gave a commitment to new and very longtime successful Head Coach Dan Monson and his new staff, as he recently took the Eastern Washington head coaching job after resigning from Long Beach State University, after just leading the Long Beach State program to another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. Monson will certainly make Eastern Washington into a force in the Big Sky Conference quickly, as he is one of the elite coaches in the country at building programs into winners.
Thomas is a big-time athletic talent that still has major upside for the future. He has the potential to become a pro over time, as he has a nice offensive skillset that will only continue to develop a great deal over time with natural maturity. He reminds me of former Arizona product and current pro Adonis Arms. 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. Offensively, he is a difficult guard for opposing teams, as he is very versatile and athletic. He has a very nice mid-range game, 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.
One of the top overall prospects in Arizona's 2022 Class, Thomas made his decision to go the junior college route, where he spent two full seasons at Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, and was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI All-Region Team, and was an All-Conference selection in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) this season. As a sophomore, Thomas averaged 10.7 points, while starting in 33 of 34 games. The Bears went 31-5 overall and 16-2 in conference play.
While Thomas did not have big numbers, he is a sure-fire Division-I talent that will only continue to thrive and develop over time, has he has extreme upside as a player. Thomas also played for Head Coach Kenny Mullins and The Factory throughout his high school career.
Thomas' story is one of the best I have ever been involved with and is very personal and emotional to me, as I was very close to his father, Thomasina Thomas, who passed away during the summer of 2023 due to cancer. Elijah Thomas' level of discipline as a player, is a result of his strong parenting from his father, who pushed his children to make good life decisions and work hard for their goals. Thomas' father's last wish was for his son to sign with a Division-I program, and now Elijah Thomas has.
Congratulations to Elijah Thomas and his family on this amazing accomplishment from our staff here at Arizona Preps.
