Thomas named WAC Player of the Week
A career-best scoring night for Joston Thomas on Saturday at San Jose State was rewarded on Monday, when the junior forward was named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.
Thomas scored 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Hawai’i to an 83-81 overtime win over the Spartans on the road at San Jose, Calif. It is the first WAC Player of the Week award for Thomas.
He is the third Hawai’i player to receive the honor this season. Junior center Vander Joaquim has been named WAC Player of the Week twice this season, and senior guard Zane Johnson got it once.
The last time a Hawai’i squad had three teammates win WAC Player of the Week in the same season was during the 2001-02 WAC championship/NCAA Tournament season of 2001-02 (Predrag Savovic, Mike McIntyre and Carl English).
The Warriors returned to Honolulu on Sunday, and their next three games will be in the Stan Sheriff Center. Hawai’i will host WAC games against first-place Nevada on Thursday, then Fresno State on Saturday. That will be followed by a non-conference game against New Orleans on Feb. 14.
Here is the official announcement from the WAC office:
DENVER – Hawai‘i’s Joston Thomas has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5. The honor marks the first career WAC Player of the Week for Thomas.
Thomas, a junior forward from Washington, D.C. (College of Southern Idaho), led Hawai‘i to an 83-81 overtime road victory at San Jose State last week. Thomas scored a career-high 29 points with 12 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double of the season. Thomas connected on 12-of 16 shots (75.0 percent) from the field and went 5-of-9 from the free throw line. He also added four assists and two blocks. Thomas helped erase a 14-point second half deficit by scoring 11 of UH’s points during a key 16-0 run. He helped UH pick up its third WAC road win of the season and second in overtime this year.
Other nominees included: Fresno State sophomore forward Jery Brown III … Idaho junior center Kyle Barone … Louisiana Tech freshman guard Raheem Appleby … Nevada sophomore guard Deonte Burton … New Mexico State senior forward Wendell McKines.
Well deserved. Keep up the awesome play.
Big shout out to Joston! Way to represent!
Way to Go Joston !
That’s Focus, Leadership ! Putting the Team on Your Back, Playing to Your Strengths, “Willing” the 16-0 Comeback Run that turned the game around, earning the Opportunity, Putting the Team in Position to Finish With the Win …
From ‘Doghouse’ to Penthouse (so to speak, you were Always “Respected”) … Show the Way to help your other talented teammates who are still struggling to find Their Stroke, Their Role, Their Groove …