Recruiting Report: Chase Thomas (2017)
When former Columbia Hickman star Jimmy Whitt graduated last year and took his 30 points a game with him to the University of Arkansas, it left a big void in the Kewpies lineup in both scoring and leadership. One of…
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Continue ReadingWhen former Columbia Hickman star Jimmy Whitt graduated last year and took his 30 points a game with him to the University of Arkansas, it left a big void in the Kewpies lineup in both scoring and leadership.
One of the young men stepping into that Whitt’s big shoes has been 2017 point guard Chase Thomas, who has emerged as one of the point guards in Mid-Missouri. He his starting to attract the interest of colleges at various levels.
The 5’10” Thomas averaged 10 points a game as a sophomore last season while playing alongside Whitt. As a junior, he has increased his scoring to 15 points a game while directing the Kewpies from the point. He can run the show with his ball handling and passing ability, but he is fully capable of carrying the scoring load when needed as he can create off the dribble and shoot the 3-pointer.
“I’m adjusting fine this year to being more of a scorer because I can score off the ball and create with the ball,” Thomas said. “I’ve improved on my strength and leadership skills on the court by also directing and being a better floor general at point guard.”
Hickman features a balanced scoring attack on most nights, but there have been times when Thomas has gotten loose on a couple of scoring binges. He scored 28 points and hit several 3-pointers in a victory over Heritage (Ark) in the Rolla Holiday Tournament. He scored 22 points in a victory over in-town rival Battle a couple of weeks ago. He is also averaging three assists a game.
“My strengths are my shooting, dribbling and passing,” Thomas said. “I want to improve on my strength and being a better defensive player.”