Recruiting Report: Zach Thornhill (2017)
LENEXA — St. James Academy 2017 guard Zach Thornhill is gearing up for a big season after a strong summer of grassroots basketball with KC Run GMC. A versatile 6-foot-4 guard, Thornhill can play and defend multiple positions. He played…
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Continue ReadingLENEXA — St. James Academy 2017 guard Zach Thornhill is gearing up for a big season after a strong summer of grassroots basketball with KC Run GMC.
A versatile 6-foot-4 guard, Thornhill can play and defend multiple positions. He played point as a freshman, then grew to the height of a 2/3 wing. An unselfish performer, he can shoot the ball but also has the ability to rise above and make finishes around the rim.
Coming off summer I was coming off back to back AAU periods where he didn’t play due to bad injuries, Thornhill said his focused this summer was getting back on the court and not trying to do too much.
“My main focus was to not try and do things that were out of my control, but just play as hard as I could and make big plays when the time came,” he said. “I played with KC Run GMC and the reputation and coaching was the best in the city.”
Thornhill finished the summer with more than 10 Division 1 looks, but in the end chose to play at Division I Nebraska-Omaha.
“It was tough to choose one, but Omaha is a growing program who will have a lot of success in the near future,” he said. “The city is great and I have close family there as well. I also saw the improvements the city has put into the school and it shows how much investment/support is there.
“The coaches/players fit me as well and the style of play is very fast. All added up and in the end I knew it was the right choice.”
St. James returns a host of talented players from last year’s squad, including 6-9 2018 Kennan Fitzmorris, 6-6 2017 Will McKee and others. Thornhill said with as many as four players who appear destined for a career in the college game, expectations are high.
“This year we have very high expectations and won’t settle with nothing but a championship in March,” he said. “We are very long/athletic and can score in so many different ways.”
Thornhill said he is looking forward to playing Bishop Miege, a team that features, among others, five star recruits Bol Bol and Jeremiah Robinson.
“They have the top talent in the city and it is also fun to play in that high level of a game,” he said.
Although they play different positions, Thornhill says he enjoyed watching future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett play.
“He Inspired me to the play game with his passion for the game and the intensity he brought every game,” Thornhill said. “I watch NBA/College basketball all the time. I’m consistently watching my position and learning new things not only on offense, but on defense as well. Plus I see what I need to do to prepare/succeed at the next level.”