Future Warrior Thomas starting fast at El Camino Real
It’s a good thing the Hawai’i basketball team secured Michael Thomas during the early signing period.
The 6-foot-6 high school senior is making quite the early-season impression for El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills, Calif. The Conquistadors are 6-2 through the first eight games, and Thomas is averaging 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pasadena Tournament after tallying 23 points and 11 rebounds in the championship game victory.
“I wish we would have won those two games that we lost,” he said. “But other than that, things are going well.”
In another tournament last week, Thomas had 23 points and 18 rebounds in a game, although it came in a triple-overtime loss.
Expectations are high this season for the Conquistadors. They are considered the top team in the Los Angeles City Section Division II, and are ranked No. 21 among all teams in the state of California by CalHiSports.com.
Thomas said he has been playing mostly at power forward for the Conquistadors, but he is projected to be more of a wing player on the NCAA Division I level.
“I’m mostly at the 4 (power forward) right now, helping the team get rebounds and score inside,” he said. “But I’m also branching out a little bit, playing some 3 (small forward).”
Thomas signed a national letter of intent with Hawai’i in November. He will join the Warriors during the 2013-14 season as a freshman.
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JOVANOVIC ALSO FARING WELL EARLY
Stefan Jovanovic and the Bishop Montgomery High team are also off to a nice start this season.
The Knights are 4-0, and won the Trevor Ariza Tipoff Classic last week in Los Angeles. Jovanovic, a 6-foot-10 center, had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in the championship game win over host Westchester.
Bishop Montgomery head coach Doug Mitchell was quoted in The Daily Breeze as saying of Jovanovic: “I thought he really stepped up in the second half. He did a really good job. He finished plays and got some key rebounds for us.”
Bishop Montgomery is ranked No. 19 in the California state rankings by CalHiSports.com.
Jovanovic also signed a national letter of intent with Hawai’i in November and will join the Warriors as a freshman during the 2013-14 season.
Bishop Montgomery senior guard Niko Filipovich is also playing a key role for the Knights this season. He also intends to join the Warriors for the 2013-14 season, although he has not signed an official letter of intent.
Welcome aboard Michael..have a great senior season, and look forward to your explosive game next four years!!
Niko Filipovich : wonder if he will walkon next year?
Glad we signed Michael Thomas in the early signing period. He’s getting much high remarks from the scouts lately (in last week’s radio interview). Hoping for some more video on him from his senior year.
it said Niko signed a letter too which means he’s not walking on…
It says he did NOT sign a letter of intent.
I don’t think there were any scholarships left for Coach to hand out to Niko. Only 2 seniors leaving after this season in Joaquim and Brereton which Thomas and Stefan filled in to. Read article here I thinks that Rozitis graduates early and is thinking his about his options, Post Grad work @ UH or Pro
pocho:
I was thinking along same lines, just looking at roster, and goals of the upperclassmen, Rozitis is a very bright young man, he can finish up school very soon, get his degree and go on to other things in life, maybe euro pro BB or another career. Davis, you have to appreciate, just doesn’t complain, has great attitude, and seems to
have a good head on his shoulders..He is the one, might be leaving after this season, Just My Guess, then that might open another scholarship. Or, if there is another one or two player movement, hopefully not too much, unless they go pro or graduate.
wonder who will get more playing time….valdes or thomas?
May be better together in tandem…
Especially with a point guard (or two)
who can get them the ball where they want it…
Valdes or Thomas. Who gets more playing time, may be a good problem to have. They look like 2 good quality players.
Very nice to hear MT is off to a good start to his Sr year. Hopefully he can step in to replace Hauns next season. Unfortunately for Hauns, he may be on his way to getting replaced this season if he doesn’t start hitting shots. His minutes have declined the each of the last 4 games and he’s in a 3-18 slump the last four games.
Hauns is needed to be UH’s gunner from outside and he’s been a big disappointment so far. His last good game was 30 days ago in Games 1&2 of the Rainbow Classic, but he has not played well vs better competition. Hopefully he can turn it around, or else Gib may start tinkering with a 3 guard starting lineup if Hauns continues to struggle. Gib may also try to go with a big rotation with Vander, Fotu, and Standhardinger playing the 3.
Jovanovic will be another nice addition to the depth chart. He may need to redshirt to develop physically like what Dressler is doing this year. Very curious to see what Dressler brings next year. He’s a bit thin in the legs this year, so hopefully he can add 15-20lbs of muscle.
Shamburger will be The Gibper’s pg next year. Don’t know how all of you forget Mr. Shamburger is rs’ting this year because of the transfer rule. Supposedly “The Roop” is a protege and learning the position cause he’s actually a 2.
pocho,
I guess that’s the bad side to good recruiting… not enough minutes for all the players. Guys need to buy into the program and play to their role. That’s how talented, deep rosters succeed.
2013 Projected starters??
1 Shamberger
2 Spearman
3 Valdes
4 Standhardinger
5 Fotu
Clair, Thomas, Oz will fighting for starts and significant minutes. Dressler will probably be the first big guy off the bench.
Who Forgot (Shamburger)?
I see people pining for Shamburger’s skills every game/week….
AND he’s the reason i expect Hawai’i to have a pg that CAN deliver the ball well enough that ALL his teammates can be more effective…
and with much hard work and some mindshift maybe a good understudy or co-point guard as well…
‘Roop is actually considered (by Coach Gib who’s said it several times) to be a True Point Guard in that he has All the pg skills — the best handles (watch his cross-over and his warm-up skills) and passes that his teammates can barely get prepared for — BUT (as Gib said) many confuse him for a ‘Combo” guard because his shooting skills are so good (“the best shooter available anywhere”) and most teams he played for Needed his shooting and scoring — so he got locked into (through repetition and instantaneous reaction) shoot-first mentality, although he seems to be resisting shooting just fine, maybe too well? When the schemes become second nature and he builds up his young physique and strength, he should be fine…
Gib is building us into a Big West power in my opinion