University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
Attention Grabber
9/10/2020 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DENTON – As the North Texas men's basketball coaches casually waited for highly-touted recruits Javion Hamlet and James Reese's games to start in the Hutchinson Sports Arena gym during the 2019 National Junior College Athletic Association DI Tournament, their attention became captivated by an unexpected name.
As the coaches were spread out in the arena, a first round game between Kaskaskia and Sheridan had begun on the court, and the Mean Green coaches quickly began texting one another about number 45 for Kaskaskia, Thomas Bell.
The athletic and lengthy forward, who entered the tournament with just two scholarship offers despite leading his underdog junior college to the 24-team national tournament, grabbed the attention of every coach in the gym that March day.
"He was so versatile," recalled UNT associate head coach Ross Hodge. "To go from being an unknown to a clear cut top recruit in just one game says it all."
Once signed with the Mean Green, the East St. Louis, Illinois native, who was cut from his eighth grade basketball team, immediately became a standout, despite not being in the starting rotation. Bell led the team in rebounds and guided UNT to its first conference championship in 31 years. In the championship clinching game — less than a year after introducing himself in the NJCAA Tournament — Bell scored 20 points and made key plays late in the game to lead the team to victory.
"Coaches in our league have told us they thought last year he was our most valuable player," Hodge said. "And he was still raw and learning how to play at this level."
Bell did all that while also not starting a single game last year. Pigeonholed behind veteran starters once he got to UNT, Bell found ways to impact the game last year despite never being in the starting five. And he never let that bother him.
"I didn't care I wasn't a starter," Bell said. "I knew once I got on the court I could help the team win and that's all that's important."
Bell ranked in the top 10 in the nation among non-starters in five categories, including third in total rebounds. He was just one of two players in the nation to lead their respective team in rebounding and not start a game.
Scoring was never a problem for Bell either. In his very first game with UNT he had 16 points to lead the team. He scored in double figures 10 times throughout the season.
"Honestly learning how to play without the ball in my hand was one of the toughest parts early on," Bell said. "In junior college I always had it in my hand."
Mean Green strength and conditioning coach Andrew Wright wasn't in Hutchinson, Kansas, to watch Bell play in the NJCAA Tournament but it also didn't take him long either to realize Bell had supreme athleticism. No matter what test they threw at Bell he jumped off the page. It was just a matter of molding his extraordinary talents.
"I never really lifted or worked out at any school before coming here," Bell said. "But as the year went along last year I had better form and technique and it definitely translated on to the court."
Whether it was a highlight block, dunk or momentum changing effort, everywhere UNT went last year Bell found a way to grab the attention of everyone in the gym.
"He's a game-changer for us," said teammate Larry Wise. "He makes an impact every time he steps out on the court and he does it unselfishly."
Now the veteran in the locker room, Bell will likely hand his six-man duties to someone else and slip into the starting five rotation but he says that hasn't and won't change anything about who he is or his role on this team.
And if anything, now that he's even more molded into the program, he says he expects even greater things for him and the team moving forward.
And the coaches don't disagree.
"He's come from a humble start where he didn't get a lot of looks but he's worked hard and been a tremendous team player who wants to help his team win more than anything else," Hodge said. "We're pretty lucky to have him here and that he grabbed our attention at the national tournament."
Support Mean Green student-athletes by visiting MeanGreenScholarshipFund.com
As the coaches were spread out in the arena, a first round game between Kaskaskia and Sheridan had begun on the court, and the Mean Green coaches quickly began texting one another about number 45 for Kaskaskia, Thomas Bell.
The athletic and lengthy forward, who entered the tournament with just two scholarship offers despite leading his underdog junior college to the 24-team national tournament, grabbed the attention of every coach in the gym that March day.
"He was so versatile," recalled UNT associate head coach Ross Hodge. "To go from being an unknown to a clear cut top recruit in just one game says it all."
Once signed with the Mean Green, the East St. Louis, Illinois native, who was cut from his eighth grade basketball team, immediately became a standout, despite not being in the starting rotation. Bell led the team in rebounds and guided UNT to its first conference championship in 31 years. In the championship clinching game — less than a year after introducing himself in the NJCAA Tournament — Bell scored 20 points and made key plays late in the game to lead the team to victory.
"Coaches in our league have told us they thought last year he was our most valuable player," Hodge said. "And he was still raw and learning how to play at this level."
Bell did all that while also not starting a single game last year. Pigeonholed behind veteran starters once he got to UNT, Bell found ways to impact the game last year despite never being in the starting five. And he never let that bother him.
"I didn't care I wasn't a starter," Bell said. "I knew once I got on the court I could help the team win and that's all that's important."
Bell ranked in the top 10 in the nation among non-starters in five categories, including third in total rebounds. He was just one of two players in the nation to lead their respective team in rebounding and not start a game.
Scoring was never a problem for Bell either. In his very first game with UNT he had 16 points to lead the team. He scored in double figures 10 times throughout the season.
"Honestly learning how to play without the ball in my hand was one of the toughest parts early on," Bell said. "In junior college I always had it in my hand."
Mean Green strength and conditioning coach Andrew Wright wasn't in Hutchinson, Kansas, to watch Bell play in the NJCAA Tournament but it also didn't take him long either to realize Bell had supreme athleticism. No matter what test they threw at Bell he jumped off the page. It was just a matter of molding his extraordinary talents.
"I never really lifted or worked out at any school before coming here," Bell said. "But as the year went along last year I had better form and technique and it definitely translated on to the court."
Whether it was a highlight block, dunk or momentum changing effort, everywhere UNT went last year Bell found a way to grab the attention of everyone in the gym.
"He's a game-changer for us," said teammate Larry Wise. "He makes an impact every time he steps out on the court and he does it unselfishly."
Now the veteran in the locker room, Bell will likely hand his six-man duties to someone else and slip into the starting five rotation but he says that hasn't and won't change anything about who he is or his role on this team.
And if anything, now that he's even more molded into the program, he says he expects even greater things for him and the team moving forward.
And the coaches don't disagree.
"He's come from a humble start where he didn't get a lot of looks but he's worked hard and been a tremendous team player who wants to help his team win more than anything else," Hodge said. "We're pretty lucky to have him here and that he grabbed our attention at the national tournament."
Support Mean Green student-athletes by visiting MeanGreenScholarshipFund.com
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