Asa Thomas knew it was time.
It just felt right.
The three-star guard/forward out of Lake Forest (IL.) High School offered his verbal commitment to Brad Brownell’s program on Thursday afternoon, making him Clemson’s first class of 2023 pledge.
Thomas detailed his decision with The Clemson Insider Thursday.
“Clemson is in one of the top conferences in the country, where they play the best competition night in and night out,” Thomas said. “Clemson’s strong academic reputation was also a big factor in my decision. It’s an ideal combination of academics and athletics for me.”
Additionally, it was Brownell and assistant head coach Billy Donlon who made Thomas feel like a priority right away. That led the 6-foot-6, 185-pound rising senior to pick the Tigers over programs like DePaul, Illinois, Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
“My relationship with Coach Brownell and Coach Donlon is great,” he said. “We talk on the daily and it feels like home every time I talk to them. Coach Donlon is from around my area, so he and I clicked right away.”
According to Thomas, Brownell has insisted that Clemson needs a shooter like himself and he feels as though he can fit that role.
Thomas is a self-described versatile threat on the offensive end. He’s the type of player that can be used in different spots, whether you need him to knock down a three or play his back to the basket — he can see the court pretty well.
What can Clemson fans expect out of Thomas once he arrives in Tiger Town?
“Clemson fans can expect a guy that’s going to leave it all out there every play,” Thomas said. “They are going to get a shot maker and a guy that can make others around him better.”
While Thomas hasn’t set up an official visit quite yet, he’s hoping he can set one up for the fall, which could coincide with a football game.
“I knew I didn’t need to wait any longer,” he said regarding Thursday’s decision,” and now I can focus on just getting better and having a great senior season with my guys.”
— Photo for this article courtesy of @asa5thomas on Instagram.
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