An Insider’s Look
Deandre Thomas Commits to Samford
By Jamie Shaw
6’3” 2018 Wing
Thomas has made quite a name for himself throughout the region so it comes as no surprise that he ended up with just shy of 15 Division 1 offers when it came time to make his school decision.
Thomas is a sturdy and athletic guard. When he is locked in, he plays hard with a chip on his shoulder. Thomas has the ability to get downhill in the half court set and can take a bump as he rises up at the rim. Thomas is a good rebounder from the guard position and has the ability to be a terror on the defensive end.
Thomas finished with 13 offers including the likes of College of Charleston, Massachusetts, Towson, William & Mary, St Francis (PA), Old Dominion and others. He joins 5’11” Kentucky PG Anthony Wales and 6’8” Alabama big Logan Dye in Samford’s 2018 class.
Let’s read about some of Deandre’s ample Phenom Hoops coverage through the years.
2013 NC Phenom 150 Camp
#69 6’1 2017 DeAndre Thomas of Chesterfield, VA:
DeAndre is a high energy; long and athletic guard that simply gets after it on both ends of the court. He can get to the rim at will and very effective in transition. DeAndre does well in tight spaces and finishes well. He has an advanced skillset and uses his speed and quickness extremely well. DeAndre will need to invest more time in the weight room to get bigger and stronger. Added strength will help his jump shot and increase his range. DeAndre is only a freshman and has a very bright future.
Player to Know
Coach Frank says: Deandre Thomas is a strong and athletic point guard, fundamentally sound with great vision and leadership skills. He has a tight handle and is physical enough to get to the rim against smaller guards yet explosive enough and skilled enough to beat most guards, allows him to dominate in traffic, confined spaces. Deandre is a crafty playmaker, uses his dribble wisely and is undeterred by ball pressure. He can score from all levels, very efficient with his touches. He makes his teammates better as he delivers the ball to his shooters where they are comfortable, manipulates defenders either with his dribble penetration or eyes, look away passes, etc. He has mastered the skill of creating opportunities for his teammates! His ability to run a team and his passing skills are elite. Deandre has a great motor and is a harassing on ball defender. He has a long wingspan, solid footwork and is very active defensively.
2015 Virginia Top 80
#29 6’2” 2018 Deandre Thomas – Benedictine (Richmond)
Thomas entered the camp with a great attitude and mentality. His high motor really shined on the defensive end. Thomas’ Camp Coach Robert Churchwell stated, “Deandre is a freshman with a high ceiling and major potential.” As he continues to improve we would like to see Thomas further develop his strength and ball skills in the half court.
2015 Open Gym Tour
6’2” 2018 Deandre Thomas has been a well-known name in Virginia for a couple years now. However, this summer Thomas put on 12 pounds of solid muscle. He came back even more explosive attacking the rim. Thomas is a slashing wing, who shows aggression on offense and ability on defense.
