TRENTON, N.J. – Jevon Thomas gave it a shot.
He spent a year at Thomas Edison, hoping to make it big as a New York City basketball star. Because of academic problems, disciplinary issues, and other distractions, he played sparingly for the Inventors.
Thomas already knew what he had to do before his freshman year ended.
“I had to get out,” said the 6-foot pass-first point guard with a scorer’s streak. “It just wasn’t for me.”
Our Savior New American, a private Christian school in Centereach, L.I., however is — so far at least.
Thomas is the starting point guard and the face of the program, assistant coach Eric Jaklitsch said. He is living with a host family, the Fords, near the school’s campus, and working out with renowned trainer Jerry Powell. He has earned a 75 average at Our Savior, far higher than what he produced at Edison.
“I’m basically here for school and basketball,” he said. “I go from home to school and basketball instead of hanging out with my friends.”
He has also become religious, frequently attending church and taking Bible classes. That was one of the reasons he chose Our Savior over other prep schools.
“I wanted to change my whole life around,” he said.
Thomas cut out the distractions in his life. He rises every morning at 7 a.m. for school, then from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. it’s all about basketball before he returns home to catch up on his heavy work load. There is no chance to get into trouble – there is nothing around Our Savior and his new home.
“I’m way more focused,” Thomas said. “Now I have to do things on my own, I can’t count on my family doing it for me. It’s getting me ready for college.”
Longtime mentor Shawn Simms has seen a different Thomas. The kid who liked to isolate himself with only his closest friends has opened up, willing to try new foods, meeting people and exploring wide-ranging interests.
“He’s more a people person,” Simms said. “It’s a credit to him being there – he’s out of his element.”
He was all set to attend Our Savior as a freshman, but opted for Edison instead. Jaklitsch can see Thomas maturing, understanding what it takes to become a big-time player. When others were staying warm during the blizzard that hit the Tri-State area recently, Thomas was working out with Powell outdoors, pushing his limits.
At Our Savior, Thomas runs a fast-paced, get-it-and-go attack rather than the halfcourt sets Edison ran.
“The kid has unlimited potential,” Jaklitsch said. “He understands more about working hard. He’s in a unique situation because he’s a freshman leading other people. He’s the future of the program and other good players want to play with him. He plays like a senior.”
Thomas is still a ways away from making a college decision, although, according to Jaklitsch, many programs have expressed interest. The list – featuring Kentucky, Washington, Syracuse, Memphis, Virginia, West Virginia and Arizona – is a who’s who of top Division I programs.
Already, because of Our Savior’s busy travel schedule, Thomas has played in front of John Calipari and coaches from West Virginia, Syracuse and Virginia. He’s also faced top-ranked point guards Dion Waiters of Life Center Academy (N.J.) and Cory Joseph of Findlay Prep (Nev.).
“At Edison I wasn’t going up against great competition,” Thomas said. “Here, I play against the best.”
It was what he envisioned when he left his Rosedale, Queens home for Long Island. A change was needed. Thomas likes the results he’s seen so far.