Playing for a Gain Elite 16u team filled with talented guards, it was Ira who stood out in a highly anticipated matchup with Hoop Habits Elite . Defensively, Ira was all over the floor coming up with plays. He has good lateral quickness, combined with the motor to sit deep in a stance and pressure the ball every single possession. That ball pressure led to a handful of turnovers throughout the game that his team was able to capitalize on to keep things tight. I had known about Ira as more of a defensive threat, but going the other way he showed he can put points on the board by connecting on a handful of three point shots.

Ira is one of my favorite guards to watch in Minnesota’s 2028 class, as he is so dynamic and relentless. I love how hard he attacks the basket, using his quickness to blow by defenders, where he has many different acrobatic finishes he can go to when met with traffic. He is a great defender and was locking up opposing guards, as well as jumping passing lanes for steals. Thomas is super shifty and is very difficult to stay in front of.

Ira was fun to watch on Sunday, as he was flying around and making plays all over the floor all game. Defensively, he was giving opposing ball handlers a tough time, poking the ball free and jumping passing lanes for steals which resulted in easy baskets on the other hand. He rose up for some high flying blocks in transition too. Thomas is a fantastic finisher around the basket, as he converted on a couple impressive acrobatic layups.