Down to four, Thomas is busy planning visits
Four-star power forward Lance Thomas of Norcross (Ga.) High has always possessed a boatload of talent, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that he started to really take off as a prospect. Once he did, college basketball coaches all over the country took notice and his offer list grew quickly.
With the travel season now behind him, The No. 111 ranked player in 2017 recently took the next step in the recruiting process by cutting his list down to four schools. Florida, Louisville, Miami and USC are the schools that remain in play.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Thomas talked about what stands out most with each school on his list.
Florida: “With Florida, I could come in and play early, and potentially start if I work hard enough. Coach (Mike) White is trying to build off the success they had under Billy Donovan. It’s a good situation. It’s a good program in a good conference.”
Louisville: “Coach (Rick) Pitino came in late, but he’s probably talked to me the most along with coach (Andy) Enfield from USC. I talk to them on a daily basis. Coach Pitino is a hall of fame coach and it’s ACC basketball. I could come in and get minutes as a freshman, but as a sophomore I would have a chance to really play a lot and maybe start.”
Miami: “They have been on me the longest along with USC. Coach (Jim) Larranaga and I have a great relationship. I can talk to him for a long time. That’s a situation where it’s still big-time basketball, but I could still come in as a freshman and get minutes and still develop.”
USC: “They have been on me the longest. Me and the coaches there have a really, really good relationship. That’s another situation where it’s in a Power Five conference. I could come in there and play right away as a freshman, and potentially even start. By the time I would get there, I personally think the Pac-12 could be the best conference with the way those schools are loading up.”
WHAT'S NEXT?
Thomas has visits scheduled to Florida and Miami during September followed by Louisville and USC in October. He’s hoping to announce his decision on Nov. 1.
RIVALS' REACTION
Going into his official visits, Louisville and USC appear to be the schools holding the edge here. USC did a great job of getting on Thomas early and built a really strong relationship with him and his family. The prestige of Louisville, Rick Pitino and playing in the ACC are going to make the Cardinals tough to beat as well.