By Joseph Staszewski
Most basketball players dislike anything that keeps them off the court and away from competing. But Queens native and new Seton Hall guard Jevon Thomas is embracing the time that he will be spending away from an active roster.
Thomas transferred to the South Orange, N.J. school from Kansas State and will have to sit out next season because of NCAA rules. For the 6-foot Thomas, this is not a setback, but an opportunity to focus on improvement so he can better help the Pirates when he is able to suit up.
“Sitting out a year will be pretty good for me,” he said after a game with Ave Life at Dyckman. “I actually like it. I can get better.”
Thomas plans on getting comfortable in the Pirates system and has been working meticulously on his jump shot.
“By next year I’ll know the offense and everything will be good,” Thomas said.
Making the move to Seton Hall felt right on a lot of levels for Thomas after two years at Kansas State. He started 25 games for the Wildcats at a sophomore, averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 assists per contest. Thomas wanted to be closer to be home, to his family, to his friends and to his son. He also hopes that the move will set him up better for the years to come.
“I think now as I mature I feel like coming home, being close to family, finishing out my career here,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get a job close to home.”
His task until then is to acclimate himself to Seton Hall so he can help the Pirates in the future. Thomas chose the Big East school because of his relationship with head coach Kevin Willard and assistant Shaheen Holloway, who also recruited him out of high school. Seton Hall was among his three finalists at the time.
Thomas saw it as a plus that both Willard and Holloway played point guard. He was impressed with how they broke down his game on his visit and their plan for it moving forward.
“That just blew me away, their attention to detail with my game and how they want me to mature as a better basketball player,” he said.
The Pirates are in need of guards because Jaren Sina transferred during last season and Sterling Gibbs left after it ended. There is still a strong nucleus of players returning, including former Lincoln stars Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez along with Khadeen Carrington, who went to Loughlin. Forward Angel Delgado was one of the best young players in the conference last season.
Thomas wants to be at his best and help them when it comes time for him to step on the court. That means taking advantage of the time he has to work on his game. Time he welcomes and believes that he needs.
“It’s going to be tough, but I have to get better,” Thomas said. “There are a lot of things I have to work on. I am not quite ready yet.”
