University of North Texas Athletics
JUCO All-Star Guard Signs With Mean Green Basketball
5/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON, Texas (5/6/09) North Texas head basketball coach Johnny Jones announced the signing of NJCAA All-Star guard Richard Thomas on Wednesday.
Thomas was a 2009 Region VI All-Tournament team selection at Garden City Community College (Kan.), and was chosen to represent the Broncbusters at the NJCAA All-Star Game. The Rosedale, N.Y., native suited up with his future Mean Green teammate Shannon Shorter (Paris JC) at the all-star game April 25 in Odessa, Texas.
“Richard will be a great addition to our program. He has the ability to really defend on one end of the floor, and also has a great knack for scoring at the other,” Jones said. “He has the ability for getting others involved because of his great perimeter skills.”
The 6-foot 5-inch, 185-pound sophomore ranked second at Garden City with 13.6 points per game, powering the Broncbusters to a 25-13 record, the Region VI title and the program’s first trip to the NJCAA Tournament since 1956. Thomas and Garden City finished sixth in the NJCAA Tournament.
Thomas was at his best in the postseason, averaging 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists per game en route to the Region VI Tournament championship and an all-tournament team appointment. He finished the year with a 14-game double-digit scoring streak, which included five 20-point efforts. Thomas even scored 10 points at the NJCAA All-Star game.
An expert at getting to the free throw line, Thomas ranked second at Garden City with 151 free throw attempts, connecting on 74.8 percent. Thomas also averaged 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a sophomore last year.
The Garden City standout joins Shorter and Texas Preps Basketball cover boy Jacob Holmen as newcomers to North Texas for 2009-10. Holmen is ranked the No. 9 power forward in the Lone Star State according to TexasPrepInsider.com out of Whitehouse High School, while Shorter, a 6-foot 4-inch slasher, was named to the Region XIV All-Tournament team and the TEAC All-Conference squad.
