In continuation with our Memphis Prep Spotlight series (see past interviews with Chris Crawford and Tarik Black), MemphisRoar is proud to present another potential student-athlete, Adonis Thomas. Thomas, a 6′5” 190lbs small forward, plays for Melrose High School and plays AAU on the Memphis Magic, alongside Joe Jackson, Mardracus Wade, Todd Mayo, and Tarik Black.
Despite being on a team laden with top 2010 prospects, Thomas is turning heads and drawing a ton of national attention. Thomas is quite possibly the most talented player on the Memphis Magic squad, gaining interest from top Division I programs. Besides Memphis, Thomas informed MemphisRoar that “North Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Arkansas” were calling his name. “Lots of SEC schools,” Thomas added, “It’s good to get a good variety like that. It will let me see different places all over the country before deciding.”
Thomas is a very long and athletic player with a nice jump shot. He has the ability to get to the basket with ease and either score or pass off for the assist. When finishing around the basket, Thomas’ dunks almost seem effortless. Thomas appears to be a perfect “inside-out” type of player that will cause match-up problems for most defenders. When asked to describe his game to us, Thomas said, “I’m getting pretty long, so that’s giving me a big advantage, especially in the post, and on the wing too actually. Because when I have a smaller guard on me, I can post them up, but when a big man guards me, I can step out and handle the ball.”
Thomas is focusing on his ball handling, strength, and shooting over this summer. With a good amount of improvement to his outside shot, Thomas could play shooting guard in college, but right now fits the position of small forward. Thomas will also be traveling with his AAU team a lot this summer, visiting a lot of college campuses and striving
to gain more exposure over the coming months.
Thomas expressed to MemphisRoar that his perspective of the Memphis program has changed somewhat, in large part due to Coach Pastner’s “inside-out” recruiting philosophy. “Yeah, I think so [about his perspective changing], because there are a lot of Memphis kids that get passed on. Kids that can play DI ball, but just get looked over. I’m happy they are starting to look at us more,” Thomas told MemphisRoar.
Thomas also added that he thinks Coach Pastner has already done a great job in his recruiting process. “To me, he’s doing a good job. He’s talking to all the coaches, AAU and high school, he’s getting out to the schools and just having his face shown a lot,” Thomas said.
With a roster full of Division I talent, expect Adonis Thomas to have a huge summer with the Memphis Magic.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WITH ADONIS THOMAS:
Q: Any kind of timeline on when you will cut your list or make a decision?
A: “12th grade year, early.”
Q: Has anyone from Memphis talked to you about how they would like to use you?
A: “Coach Pastner has just talked about how they would like to use me as a player, not specifically a position, just a player, like an inside-out type guy.”
Q: What do you think are your strengths of your game?
A: “If I’m on the wing, I think my strengths are going to the post.”
Q: Who is your favorite college basketball player to watch?
A: “Blake Griffin. I don’t play like him or anything, I just like his game and the way he plays.”
Q: Who is your favorite NBA player?
A: “LeBron James”
Q: Do you have any superstitions or anything before a game?
A: “No superstitions yet….I’m trying some out though. I need to find something soon.”
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
A: “Making the Band 4.”
Q: What do you like to eat before a big game?
A: “Nothing particular. I just eat A LOT.”
Q: Tell us something that people may not know about you:
A: “I really like geometry, it’s my favorite subject. Most people don’t know that about me.”
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