In just two years Tyrus Thomas has gone from red-shirt bench warmer to a starter on LSU’s basketball team averaging 12.8 points per game, 9.2 rebounds and three blocks.
“Without question he’s matured,” said LSU coach John Brady. “He knows now that he can’t just get away with being athletic. I think he still has some more maturing to do, and I hope the maturing will continue at LSU.”
In high school Thomas averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks per game for McKinley High School in Baton Rouge. Freshman Garrett Temple said Thomas’ 6-foot-9-inch, 215 pound frame and athletic ability gave him an advantage over the rest of the 7-4A District.
“At McKinley he basically just flew around the court, was more athletic than people,” Temple said. “He didn’t have nearly as many skills as he does now. Since he’s been here he’s put in a lot of work behind the scenes. He’s matured since that freshman year, on and off
the court.”
Thomas said he was given more freedom by his coach while at McKinley because of his talent.
“Nothing really came easy for me except athleticism,” Thomas said. “I had a little bit more freedom because I was able to do a lot of things most high schoolers weren’t able to do.”
After he red-shirted last season because of a neck injury, Thomas was able to sit on the sideline and adjust from high school standout to college starter.
“It’s just a different ballgame,” Thomas said. “It’s a different world. I got to show a lot more maturity now than I did at McKinley. The LSU Tyrus Thomas faces more adversity than the high school Tyrus Thomas.”
LSU’s loss to University of Connecticut on Jan. 7 was Thomas’s breakout game on national television. He had 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots against the Huskies. Following his eighth double-double of the season in Hartford, Conn., Thomas became a permanent addition to the starting lineup.
Chauncey Moore coached Thomas during his senior year at McKinley and said he is not surprised by Thomas’ success.
“He’s picked up some muscle, but he’s basically the same player he was here,” Moore said. “Everything he’s doing now he did in high school.”
Moore said Thomas is better at this point in his career than former LSU forward Stromile Swift and said Thomas has some abilities that have not yet been showcased.
“I think he’s a little more in tune than Stromile,” Moore said. “Stromile was asked to do a lot. [Thomas] has those other capabilities that haven’t been seen yet because they haven’t asked him to do them. He may even be better than Stromile Swift.”
Temple said the the recent rise in Thomas’ stock will not go to the 19 year old’s head.
“He’s not the type of person that let’s those kind of things go to his head,” Temple said. “He’s real humble, you know, because of where he came from. He’s a team guy just like everybody else, and we’re just trying to win as many games as we can.”
Thomas has scored in double digits in the Tigers’ last two contests but struggled in road games against Florida and Alabama, scoring only 2 points and 4 points respectively.
Thomas said teams are starting to lock in on him more now that he is drawing more national attention.
“Everybody does good scouting reports,” Thomas said. “People know my abilities and what I can do. They’re starting to focus on me a little more than they did at the beginning of the season because I guess I’m a factor now and a threat. It’s kind of like I have a target on my back right now.”
Thomas said though he has matured a lot in his two years at LSU, he still has more growing to do.
“I’ve been working hard like my whole life,” Thomas said. “I think I’ve matured a lot. I also think I still have a little more maturing to do.”
 
Contact Keith Claverie at kclaverie@lsureveille.com