Top 2006 Prospect Transferring Schools

Lance Thomas will be one of the most watched players this high school season but college coaches will have to go to a new school. The 6-foot-8, 195-pound small forward is transferring from Scotch-Plains High School to St. Benedict’s in Newark, N.J. when school begins on September 8.

“He’s going to move on to St. Benedict’s because of academics,” Thomas’s uncle Monty Montgomery said. “Nothing against Scotch-Plains, they are a great school and they have a great coach. He’s moving because it’s a greater level of academics and that’s the most important thing. They will get him prepared for life after high school.”

Thomas has plenty of options for life beyond the prep level. High majors such as Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, Texas and Wake Forest are all involved in his recruitment.

St. Benedict’s will play at a number of tournaments when the season kicks off. Thomas, along with other prospects Eugene Harvey and Corey Stokes, will be at the War on the Shore, Slam Dunk to the Beach, Coaches Versus Cancer, Prime Time Shootout and other events.

Thomas, the No. 21 ranked player in the nation by Rivals.com in the class of 2006, is the second player to leave Scotch-Plains this summer. Derrick Caracter transferred to St. Patrick’s in July.