R-B's Thomas works her magic
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| Richmond-Burton freshman point guard Erin Thomas gave an oral commitment last week to play basketball at the University of Dayton. The 15-year-old made a name for herself by playing AAU basketball for six seasons, and she has starred in a Converse shoes commercial alongside Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade. (Justin Edmonds - jedmonds@nwherald.com) |
Marty Dello never has seen Erin Thomas come to basketball practice late or without a ball tucked under her arm.
The 5-foot-3 point guard almost always stays late, though, racking up hours of non-mandated practice, shooting a tireless amount of shots and watching older players run drills.
It’s a determination and focus Dello rarely sees in players, regardless of talent, who come in and out of his AAU basketball program, the Illinois Magic. And it’s that determination that set Thomas apart from players her age and older from the first few times Dello watched her when she was in fourth grade.
“I knew she was special,” Dello said. “My daughter [Angela] and Erin played together when they were very young, and it was my wife, actually, who started talking to me about [Erin] first. She recognized the value of how hard Erin was working.”
The first real reward for Thomas’ hard work was a skills video shot for the Kellogg’s Company that was available on a Web site promoting the company’s Corn Flakes cereal. Thomas was in sixth grade when she made the Web-only advertisement, for which she was not paid.
Then, in seventh grade, Thomas was cast to star in a commercial for Converse shoes alongside NBA great Dwyane Wade.
And last week, Thomas gave an oral commitment to play basketball at the University of Dayton, wrapping up a six-year stint of effort on the AAU circuit to land a coveted Division I basketball scholarship.
It is, by all accounts, a lot of success for a high school freshman. Thomas is in her first year at Richmond-Burton, where she split time between the sophomore and varsity basketball teams this season.
But it is a testament to more than just hard work, Dello said. Thomas’ drive and determination ultimately defined her as a D-I college prospect. On any given day, outside of practice, Thomas estimates she spends up to an hour working on her ball-handling skills and two hours shooting jump shots.
“This is really one of those stories where if you have a big heart and you’re willing to work hard at your game, opportunities will come,” Dello said. “I have a lot of talented players. But no one I have ever worked with works as hard as Erin. We can provide great contacts for our kids, and we can set them up with a lot of different options, but if they don’t spend the time, the opportunities will not come. And Erin spends the time.”
Thomas is more reticent to talk about how hard she has worked in order to be among the elite basketball players in the country – boys or girls – who commit to college programs so early. But Thomas, like other young NCAA recruits, is thrilled to have her decision made.
It was not an easy one. Thomas was receiving interest from DePaul, Drake and Texas Christian before committing to the Flyers.
“I loved the school,” said Thomas, who has visited Dayton twice. “I liked the coaches and the players. It was just everything I was looking for. It was amazing. I felt really comfortable there. Everyone was so nice, the facilities were amazing, and it was a small, private school.”
According to Dello, Dayton was equally impressed with Thomas. The NCAA prohibits college coaches from discussing their recruits until official letters of intent are signed, which will not happen until Thomas is a senior.
“Right now, Dayton has a point guard who is 5-2 and another who is 5-5,” Dello said. (Dayton’s roster lists two guards under 5-5). “Because of that, Erin being small didn’t scare them.
“At first, I didn’t know how far she could go because she is small. But Dayton loved two things about her: For one, she can shoot the ball. She’s got that quick release, and her range will only expand over the next few years. And [second], her ability to handle the ball is outstanding. She has always been a great dribbler, but she has just gotten better over the years.”
Thomas was limited in varsity play this year because, according to Thomas, her father, Dave, and Dello, R-B administrators decided at the season’s outset not to allow freshmen to play on the varsity team. Because of low numbers in previous seasons, Dave Thomas said, administrators felt it would be best to keep freshmen at the lower levels in order to build a program.
R-B has had three varsity girls basketball coaches in as many seasons and had only seven girls on its varsity roster during the 2007-08 season. R-B varsity coach Melanie Hinz did not start Thomas but did work her into varsity games whenever possible. When Thomas was moved up to varsity just before the start of the Big Northern Conference season, Hinz said she and the players had the utmost confidence in Thomas’ abilities. Hinz could not be reached for comment for this story.
Regardless, Thomas’ AAU numbers spoke for themselves when establishing her as a legitimate college prospect. There were games she scored 25 points, Dello said. Her average was 10 points a game last summer, and Thomas consistently has played at least one level above her own age group. When Dayton first showed interest last summer, Thomas was playing with the 17-and-under Magic team.
Occasionally when recruits commit so early in high school, they back out of their commitment when other opportunities develop during their junior and senior years. Thomas was adamant that Dayton was the only place she would be interested in playing. Dayton is 20-12 overall and 7-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season.
“I love it there,” she said.
Dello is not concerned about greener pastures, either.
“We visited DePaul at one point, and they were playing [Connecticut],” Dello said. “I asked Erin if she liked it. She said, ‘Yes, I like it.’ But when she came back from Dayton, she told me she loved it. She seemed to have a bond and a connection with Dayton.
“I know that it doesn’t matter who comes calling or might come calling down the road. This is a family and a kid of their word, and they’ll simply say ‘No.’ This wasn’t about trying to get her in the Big East or the [ACC]. This was about finding her the right fit. And Dayton really is the right fit.”
