Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #12: Gavin Thomas

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>As part of our preseason preview content, we're counting down the top dozen candidates for this year's Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. Our countdown starts with our No. 12 player, Aplington-Parkersburg guard [player_tooltip player_id='1171686' first='Gavin' last='Thomas'].</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Name:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1171686' first='Gavin' last='Thomas']<br><strong>Height:</strong> 6-2<br><strong>Position: </strong>CG<br><strong>School:</strong> Aplington-Parkersburg</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2022-23 stats:</strong> 381 points (15.9/game), 123 rebounds (5.1), 82 assists (3.4), 36 steals (1.5), 50.2 FG%, 46.2 3P%, 81.2 FT%<br><strong>Career stats: </strong>950 points (12.8/game), 259 rebounds (3.5), 225 assists (3.0), 102 steals (1.4), 47.8 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 77.7 FT%</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>About Thomas: </strong>A skilled guard who can play with or without the ball, Thomas is a highly efficient three-level scorer who can create looks for himself and his teammates off the bounce. Throughout his first three years as a Falcon, they've had skilled point guards playing alongside Thomas, which has allowed him to play off the ball more. Look for him to play with the ball in his hands more this season, which could really boost his overall numbers. The son of A-P coach Aaron Thomas, Gavin is one of the best pure shooters in the state, as his 46% from behind the arc last season shows. Defensively he's a disciplined, well-coached defender who moves his feet well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Why he can win Mr. Basketball: </strong>While expectations at A-P may not be quite as high heading into this season as they have been in recent years, the Falcons are still very much a threat to get to the 2A state tournament and make some noise, and if they do so, it will be because Thomas has had a sensational senior season as both a scorer and playmaker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->