There is talent all over the state of South Carolina, this is becoming a known fact. Looking toward the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, two South Carolina prospects (Zion Williamson and Ja Morant) are slated to be drafted among the Top 10. Keeping pace with the great part about South Carolina basketball is that the talent pops up all over the place. Williamson came from Spartanburg Day School, a 2A SCISA program, and Morant from Crestwood High School, then a 3A school in Sumter South Carolina.
Lee Central High School, out of Bishopville, South Carolina, is quickly turning into a state power. Bishopville is a town of 3,000 people tucked away in Lee County in the middle of larger cities Hartsville, Sumter and Florence, an hour east from Columbia. Small city becoming a state power in basketball, over the last two seasons, Lee Central has amassed a 40-7 record, while going 24-0 in conference and making it to the 3rd Round of the SCHSL playoffs each year.
This year's Lee Central team is led by a sophomore and freshman guard, who happen to be cousins. We will first lead with the superstar, the unquestioned team leader and current best player, sophomore DaVeon Thomas.
DaVeon is an electric guard, a guard who has the upside and potential to become an absolute superstar. As a freshman, last season, Thomas averaged 11 points and just shy of 6 assists per game. He has an electric handle to go along with sneaky explosion and excellent court vision. He is a more aggressive scorer than his cousin (who we will touch on later in this writing), as he is the team's leading scorer this year.
His team has started the year off 2-1, playing two of its first three games against 4A programs (reminder Lee Central is only 2A). Through the three games, DaVeon is averaging 20 points per game, with outputs of 20 and 24 against the 4A programs. After his performance at the prestigious South Carolina Top 80 we wrote, “DaVeon Thomas possesses all the necessary tools to become a dominant two-way presence. He's a point guard prospect with nice strength, athleticism, and solid feel for the game. Offensively, Thomas gets downhill with ease and attacks the rim whenever possible. He can score quite efficiently from all three levels, but does an excellent job of mixing up his approach on offense. Thomas has great vision and playmaking instincts, especially when he is focusing on creating scoring chances for others. He's a handful for opponents to contain in transition, because he has the ability to hurt teams in a variety of different ways. Thomas utilizes his quick hands and feet to mirror his assignment on defense, which allows him to pile up steals in a hurry.”
Not to be outdone by family, DaVeon's cousin Lebron Thomas is shaping up to be one of the best freshman in the state of South Carolina. Watching Lebron play, it is hard to believe he is only in the 9th grade. His length and toughness proceed his game, but it is his passing that really stands out above the rest.
Lebron Thomas savvy is well beyond his years. He has an aggressive downhill handle, which pairs very nicely with his ability to defend the perimeter and rebound his position. However, his court vision and ability to create angles to feed teammates is something natural. He can also score the ball as he finished with an already career high 13 points this season in a win against Lamar High School.
Like his cousin DaVeon, Lebron Thomas participated in the prestigious South Carolina Top 80 this season. After a standout performance we wrote, “Lebron Thomas has already begun to generate a lot of buzz across the state of South Carolina, LeBron Thomas. He's a point guard prospect with incredible vision and playmaking abilities. Thomas is young, yet already possesses impressive feel and instincts on offense, able to manipulate on-ball defenders with his quickness and carve up the interior with his craftiness. He scored in various ways at camp, knocking down pull-ups, frequently finishing at the rim, and showcasing a nice arsenal of in-between floaters and runners. Thomas utilizes his length extremely well on defense and already understands how to make life miserable for opponents. He's already quite a solidified two-way presence, which is a scary thought, because he's only going to get better.”
Right in the middle of an impressive run for the school, the program gets this incredibly talented cousin duo. They will play together for three seasons, this one being the first. Look for a lot of electricity, not only that but a lot of tough guy plays. Also, look deep into the future and find two players who will be high school stars and looking to choose which college to attend.
Get your first look at them at Phenom’s Capital City Jam, in Columbia, where Lee Central will face-off against Ben Lippen at 4:45 PM. Not only will their current games have you on the edge of your seat, you will also be able to say, “I remember the first time I saw Lebron and DaVeon…”
