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Thomas satisfies ACT, ready to join Huskies
DON RUIZ; [email protected]
Last updated: May 4th, 2008 01:25 AM (PDT)
Former Curtis High basketball star Isaiah Thomas has earned a qualifying score on his ACT test, clearing the way for him to begin his career as a Washington Husky in the 2008-09 season.
"I feel so good," Thomas said Saturday. "This is the best I've felt in a long time. This was the biggest relief, getting this off my shoulders. Now I can just finish the school year strong."
Thomas got word about his ACT score last week, and when he graduates from South Kent School in Connecticut on May 31, he can turn his full attention to college.
That moment seemed a long way off in 2006 when Thomas and his family decided that he would leave Curtis and try to improve his game and his grades on the East Coast.
"It took a long time, but it was well worth it," said Keith Thomas of Tacoma, Isaiah's father. "It's like losing your kid at one time and then gaining him back in the end. He learned, and I think he learned what he needed to. In fact, I know he did.
"I just see the maturity from when he left to now. He's ready for the next level. (Fans) will see that. He's matured more than I've ever seen: mentally, physically on the basketball court, he's grown as a basketball player."
Thomas averaged 31.2 points per game during his final season at Curtis, including two 50-point games. He left holding nine Washington state tournament records, including most points in a game (51), most points in a tournament (162) and highest scoring average (40.5).
He continued to score in bunches at South Kent, averaging about 32 points per game against a lot of college-bound competition, but also worked on other aspects of his game.
"I'm a better player, a more mature player," he said. "They said I couldn't play defense or whatnot, but I'm playing it now. I'll just be ready to put on a show when I get to the UW."
Thomas is part of an incoming freshman class that also features guards Scott Suggs of Missouri, Elston Turner Jr. of Texas and power forward Tyreese Breshers of Los Angeles.
Suggs capped his season by being named Mr. Show-Me State Basketball - in effect, state player of the year.
That highly ranked class will join a UW team that returns three of its top four scorers from last season, when the Huskies went 16-17 and missed the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season.
Thomas said he and sophomore Venoy Overton - the Huskies' starting point guard last season - can fit comfortably in the same backcourt.
"I think we're going to do tremendously well," Thomas said. "Me and him are going to try to bring back the days like (Nate Robinson, Will Conroy, Brandon Roy) and all of them. We're going to try to get back at it."
Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808
More from Thomas and his father:
blogs.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
Originally published: May 4th, 2008 01:25 AM (PDT)
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