Season of Work: Donte Thomas

Junior forward Donte Thomas is showcased in the inaugural post in the Bradley Basketball Season of Work series

Bradley University Marketing

Donte Thomas

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Men's Basketball 6/16/2016 12:00:00 PM

In order to fill the days before Bradley Basketball officially begins the NCAA Championship segment of its season with its first full practice of the segment Sept. 30, BradleyBraves.com will profile each of the team's 15 players in a weekly spotlight entitled Season of Work. The series tips off today with a look at Bradley's most-experienced player, junior forward Donte Thomas, and will continue each Thursday through Sept. 22. Each spotlight will include a video breakdown session with Braves head coach Brian Wardle.

Season of Work: Donte Thomas

Full Name: Donte Huron Thomas
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
Height: 6' 7"
Weight: 225 lbs
Major: Social Work
Hometown: Calumet City, IL (Thornwood H.S.)

OVERVIEW
Thomas is the veteran member of the Bradley Basketball team in 2016-17 as the only Brave with more than one year of experience in the program and one of just three players (junior transfers Alex Foster and JoJo McGlaston) with more than one season of NCAA Division I experience. After playing in a reserve role in 2014-15, Thomas remained committed to the Bradley Basketball program through the coaching change following his freshman season and he responded as statistically the most improved player in the Missouri Valley Conference as a sophomore in 2015-16. The athletic, 6-foot-7 forward was Bradley's leading rebounder in 2015-16 with 6.2 boards per game and the second-leading scorer at 9.1 points per game and he tied for fourth in The Valley with four point-rebound double-doubles last season.

ACCOLADES
Thomas was selected to the 2016 MVC Most Improved Team, though statistically, he was the most-improved player in the league: his +10.3 combined increased scoring (+6.6 ppg) and rebounding (+3.7 rpg) last season was the best of any player in The Valley in 2015-16. He also came through with a pair of go-ahead-for-good 3-pointers with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game last season: the game-winning basket on Bradley's last possession Jan. 13 at Loyola and with 23.9 seconds remaining Feb. 20 against Drake. In recognition of his academic excellence, Thomas has earned a spot on the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll in three of his first four semesters, as well as the 2015 MVC Honor Roll.

QUOTABLE
"I'm in first in most of the workouts downstairs (weight room). Most of the freshmen look up to me and ask me about our rules. I mainly organize all the little activities we do together off the court, so we have some bonding. I think that's my position, that's what I need to do is to be a leader of this team." - Thomas on his leadership role.

"He's a very bright young man, a very good student. I think he responds very well to being challenged and pushed and I think that's my role with him. Our relationship has gotten much better, much stronger, and that means our conversations can be more productive." - Brian Wardle, Bradley Basketball head coach on challenging Thomas to continue to improve.

"One thing with Donte that people forget, he is still very young: he just turned 20 in May. Being a 20-year-old junior, he's still very young and he had to mature a little bit. When we came in, we put some tough responsibilities on him and he was able to handle those in a mature fashion," - Jimmie Foster, Bradley Basketball assistant coach on Thomas' development.

"He has a motor that a lot of teams in The Valley don't have. When he comes in and brings that motor, we're a very good team. Like you saw last year, the games that we were in, he brought it and he played well. I think with Donte, his growth is still there; he has a lot of leaps and bounds to go, but he's working day-to-day, getting in the gym and shooting so that he can be the best player as possible," - Foster, on Thomas' ceiling.

"With Donte, it starts with sleeping, eating right, eating enough, staying hydrated. You're asking them (the student-athletes) to go beyond their years of maturity to eat right all the time, to go to bed early, and when Donte does that, his motor runs higher and his energy level is higher. He sees that now and he knows it. Now it's just a matter of creating those habits to make it happen." - Wardle on Thomas' energy level.

OFF-SEASON FOCUS
In addition to his general production improvement, Thomas bumped his field goal percentage from .330 as a freshman to .437 last season, while doubling his 3-point field goals from nine in 2014-15 to 18 last season. He also raised his free throw percentage from .400 (8-20) as a freshman to .734 last season. In order to see similar percentage increases in 2016-17, Thomas is working on his mid-range jump shot as well as developing a consistent face-up move in the post. Continued dedication to the strength and conditioning program with improved focus on nutrition will give Thomas the ability to play with the energy to exploit his superior athleticism.

SUMMARY
A role player who saw limited minutes as a freshman, Thomas was thrust into a veteran's role a year early and responded admirably, while providing a glimpse of what his future can hold with some signature performances in 2015-16: 22 points versus Ole Miss, 9.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg in two games versus I-74 rival Illinois State, 18 points in the home win against Indiana State, a pair of game-winning treys and a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the MVC Tournament game versus Loyola. At 6-foot-7 with the ability to stretch the floor on offense and guard multiple positions on defense, Thomas gives the Braves a matchup advantage on most nights. Turning the signature moments of his sophomore season into consistent performances in 2016-17 will elevate Thomas among the top talents in the Missouri Valley Conference.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING
Nickname(s): DT
My motto is: Eat or be eaten
The person who has most influenced by athletics career: My mother
Nobody believes me when I tell them: I played football for seven years
My favorite place to play a game of pick-up ball: The recreations center down the street in my hometown
Favorite Sports Movie: He Got Game
Favorite Book: Of Mice and Men
Favorite TV sports broadcaster: Craig Sager
Planned post-basketball career: Social Worker
My favorite Coach Wardle phrase: C-D-R (compete-defend-rebound)
Before every game, I: Pray
The most memorable moment of my life: Getting my first car
My most memorable moment in athletics: Hitting the game-winner at Loyola

NEXT WEEK
Thursday, June 23: Sophomore forward Luuk van Bree

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Players Mentioned

#34 Alex Foster: F; 6' 8"; Junior

#1 Donte Thomas: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore

#13 Luuk van Bree: F; 6' 9"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#34 Alex Foster
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F

#1 Donte Thomas
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: F

#13 Luuk van Bree
: 6' 9"; Freshman
: F

Season of Work: Donte Thomas

Junior forward Donte Thomas is showcased in the inaugural post in the Bradley Basketball Season of Work series

Players Mentioned

#34 Alex Foster

#1 Donte Thomas

#13 Luuk van Bree

Players Mentioned

#34 Alex Foster

#1 Donte Thomas

#13 Luuk van Bree