Charm City Guard is Steady and Able

Ron Bailey, Publisher

Desmond Thomas, hailing from the Park Heights section of Baltimore, personifies that city's tough, gritty ethos.

July 20, 2006 – Baltimore, MD is known as a hard working, gritty town in which nothing is given, all is earned. Resultantly, the town produces basketball players with that same mindset, and 5’10”, 167lb lead guard Desmond Thomas personifies it.

Hailing from West Baltimore – specifically the Park Heights section – Thomas, a rising senior, indicated recently “I’ve been playing since I was six”, and “Always was a point guard”. That’s the position he mans at St. Frances High School, an excellent Catholic school on the city’s East Side.

Desmond shared he averaged “like 11 points and 6 assists” in a “role player” capacity last year for the 24 win, 10 loss St. Frances Panthers. That school’s coach, William Wells, demands his team strictly follow the game plan, which Thomas describes as “He wants everything to slow down”. Thomas then shared “I have no problem with” such a deployment.

His individual body of work at the school has been good enough to earn scholarship offers from “Ball State and Towson”, while interest has been received from the likes of “Bucknell, Arkansas, Siena, Duquesne, DeSales, and Rider”. Upon being asked to supply his recruiting leaders, Desmond responded “Ball State and Siena”, and then stated a decision will be reached “Probably later on in the (upcoming) school year”.

When asked to define his skill set, Thomas replied “If I had to describe my game, it would be I get everyone involved, and make players better”. In his opinion, those positives can be enhanced by “speaking up more on the court as far as being a leader”.

This summer, playing with Mt. Royal/Team Melo, this true point guard has exhibited that, and more, since that AAU/travel team juggernaut allows Desmond, as he put it, “freedom to play my game”. That total skill package was on display during the Triple Threat Shootout this spring, where he passed, defended, and shot with aplomb, all the while helping to lead Mt. Royal/Team Melo to the championship game.

Desmond has long dedicated himself to hoops – he doesn’t do clubs, choosing instead to “work out a lot” and maintain “focus”. Those training sessions include “A lot of running and lifting weights”, in addition to drilling with his brother, Donald Thomas, a former Mervo High School and Pikesville College guard. Thomas shared that due to working with his brother, “Now, my on ball defense has got a lot better”.

Recently Desmond also demonstrated his desire to achieve academically in a major way. Instead of participating in Nike’s premier travel team tournament, the Peach Jam, Thomas displayed dedication, staying home to address a past academic concern. On that issue, Desmond shared “Last year, out Spanish teacher left in the middle of the year”, leading him not to focus on the class as he should. As a result, he stayed in B’More so that his progress in the course would continue.

Given Thomas’ parental backing, doing what needs to be done to ensure academic and on-court success is no surprise. During a recent cyber-interview, his mother, Diane Thomas, shared their family’s philosophy regarding rearing their four children as “Our expectations are that he sets goals, strives hard to reach those goals, with the understanding that anything worth having is worth working for”.

Having had previous children who played hoops at various levels, Ms. Thomas indicated being sports-parents are in their blood, and that the final choice in schools will lay with Desmond, as they “want him to go where he thinks he will fit in academically and basketball-wise…but the final choice is his”.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com for a report when that time comes. Until then, expect Desmond to do what he does - make players around him, as well as himself, better.