My View/Your View: There's No Limit for Fort Wayne Luers' Thomas

We just put the Indiana high school boys basketball tournament season to bed for another season, and already there's plenty to talk about and look forward to next season. In an earlier blog, I said I thought the best player in Indiana this season was a junior from a Class 4A school. Nothing against Bloomington South's Jordan Hulls, who's likely to be named the 2009 Mr. Basketball, and probably deservedly so, but I stand by what I said when trying to evaluate talent from this season, based, of course, on the talent I had the pleasure to watch from steamy gymnasiums across Central Indiana or on Channel 40. North Central's Terone Johnson, who averaged 20.7 points and shot .492 percent on 60-of-122 shooting from the arc, was the most explosive player I saw. The 6-foot-2 Purdue recruit was the straw that stirred the drink on a team that lost only two of 24 games and was ranked No. 1 in the state for a short period of time. Another skillful performer was 6-9 Lawrence North guard/forward Dominique Ferguson, who probably doesn't quite know just how good he could be, along with his teammate, swingman Justin Martin, who can flat-out shoot it, and New Albany's 6-9 post player Donnie Hale, whose team lost only two games in two seasons. Then there's 6-8 Erik Fromm Bloomington South, who excels at both ends of the floor and averages 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds on a well-balanced team, and some even contend he might have been the most talented among the Panthers. Now, it's time to add another junior to the "must-see, high-expectation'' list come next season in 6-7 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers' Deshaun Thomas, who plays much bigger and stronger than one might expect from a Class 2A player. Following his 34-point, 15-rebound performance in leading Luers to a second straight state championship on Saturday, Thomas finished the season averaging a state-best 31.8 points and his 15.6 rebounds were second to Covenant Christian senior Andrew Smith (17.1 rebounds), who's headed for Butler. Thomas, a southpaw who has made an early commitment to coach Thad Matta at Ohio State, runs the floor well. He also added three blocks and two steals in the state championship win over Brownstown Central. Guerin Catholic coach Pete Smith, who watched Luers knock off Tipton in the sectional after his Eagles lost to the host Blue Devils, told me that Thomas was "the real deal.'' Brownstown Central coach David Benter referred to Thomas as "incredible.'' Those who saw him play on Saturday undoubtedly left Conseco Fieldhouse quite impressed. And, oh yes, make no mistake he would be a pretty prolific performer on a strong 4A basketball team, too. He's that good, real good. And smooth. . . so smooth. He gets it done often times almost in an effortless manner. "He also creates a lot of shots and opportunities for his teammates,'' said Luers coach James Blackmon."He's a special player.'' Is he the best player in the state? Based on what he's done for us the past two seasons and the fact he can still improve in all aspects of his game, then yes, I think he's the best player,'' said Blackmon. Best player? Uh, well, he's certainly in the mix. Best talent? Yes, quite possibly. He's certainly a dynamite perimeter player, who could become an even more special player if he adds some punch to his inside game. At least, that's my take on him. Thomas said he's going to get better. "If he told you that, then you can believe it,'' said his coach, a former star at Marion High School in the early 1980s. "Deshaun loves the game; he plays it with a passion.'' Thomas, who said he hopes Luers can "do this again'' as an encore next season, has Damon Bailey's all-time state scoring record in his sights. Bailey, of course, graduated from Bedford North Lawrence with 3,134 points in 1990; Thomas is 880 behind him with 2,254 points. "I'd like that individual record. I'd be happy to break it,'' said Thomas, flashing an ear-to-ear smile. "I remember Damon Bailey . . . man, he was good, real good.'' One thing for sure about next season, that record certainly is within reach for the Summit City sensation.