Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Quintrell Thomas says he's both happy and relieved to be a Kansas Jayhawk.
"I'm going to one of the best programs in the country. I'm really excited," said Thomas, a a 6-foor-8, 235-pound forward from St. Patrick High in Elizabeth, N.J.
On Tuesday he announced his decision to attend KU, choosing Bill Self's Jayhawk program over Rutgers and UNLV. He also seriously considered Maryland.
"There's an opportunity for a lot of playing time. I like the players and coaches. Pretty much it's quiet there, but you can also have fun when you want to," he said, noting it was a difficult decision. "I'm glad it's over with. It was getting ridiculous," he said of the pressure to pick a school. "I know pretty much everyone on Rutgers' team. It was kind of emotional (in turning Rutgers down)."
Thomas, who visited KU Sept. 28-30, made his last recruiting trip to UNLV on Oct. 12-13.
He is known as an athletic player who is a rugged rebounder with shooting range out to 17 feet.
His high school coach, Kevin Boyle, indicated he averaged about nine points and 7.5 rebounds his junior year for one of the top prep teams in the country. He had a productive summer playing for Derrick Bobbitt's New Jersey Elite AAU program, in fact averaging over 20 points a game.
"Over the weekend he decided to attend Kansas," Boyle said. "He went to the Rutgers football game last Thursday and really liked their program. They're trying to do in basketball what Kansas is doing in football, but when you get one of the top programs in college basketball history offering you a scholarship, it's kind of a no-brainer."
KU has now received oral commitments from three players: Thomas, as well as Travis Releford, 6-4 from Roeland Park Miege and Mario Little, 6-5 from Chipola Junior College in Florida.
Read more in Wednesday's Journal-World and on KUSports.com.
Original Breaking News
Quintrell Thomas, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound senior forward from St. Patrick High in Elizabeth, N.J., on Tuesday orally committed to play basketball at Kansas University.
The commitment was confirmed by his high school coach, Kevin Boyle. Thomas chose KU over Rutgers and UNLV. He also seriously considered Maryland.
"Over the weekend he decided to attend Kansas," Boyle said. "He went to the Rutgers football game last Thursday and really liked their program. They're trying to do in basketball what Kansas is doing in football, but when you get one of the top programs in college basketball history offering you a scholarship, it's kind of a no-brainer."
Thomas, who visited KU Sept. 28-30, made his last recruiting trip to UNLV on Oct. 12-13. He also seriously considered Maryland.
Thomas is known as an athletic player who is a rugged rebounder with shooting range out to 17-feet.
His high schol coach, Kevin Boyle, indicated he averaged about nine points and 7.5 rebounds his junior year for one of the top prep teams in the country. He had a productive summer playing for Derrick Bobbitt’s New Jersey Elite AAU program.