When Jevon Thomas committed to St. John’s, he was going with his heart, choosing his hometown school. Tuesday night, when he pledged for Dayton, it came from his head.
He was picking a school from technically a mid-major conference far from home whose up-tempo system fits the Queens native like a glove.
“They’ve been coming pretty hard since the first part of the live period and their style of play is similar to my game,” said Thomas, who de-committed from St. John’s in July and picked Dayton over Seton Hall. “We were talking [Tuesday night] and the conversation just led to that. … I feel comfortable, I felt better than I did last time. I’m just happy.”
The 22nd-ranked point guard in the Class of 2012 according to Scout.com, Thomas joins Ohio native Jalen Robinson in new head coach Archie Miller’s recruiting class. He credited the recruiting job done by assistant Allen Griffin, a point guard like Thomas originally from New York City. Previously an assistant at St. Francis College and Hofstra, Griffin was an All-American at Robeson and enjoyed a sterling career at Syracuse.
“He grew up in a similar back ground me, he related to me, he knows where I’m coming from,” Thomas said. “He made me feel like I’m his little brother. He made me feel welcome, made me feel comfortable.”
Thomas has been considered one of the city’s top lead guards since he broke onto the scene as a freshman at Thomas Edison. He landed at Our Savior New American the next year and blossomed the last two seasons at the Long Island school before moving on to Quality Education (N.C.) this fall.
In the 5-foot-11 pass-first floor general with an improving perimeter jump shot and extraordinary court vision, Dayton is getting a possible difference maker, one Division I assistant coach familiar with Thomas said.
“He’s an explosive guard in the open court who constantly is thinking pass first,” the coach said. “Despite his size and lack of frame, he can play with anybody. He’s got as good as second gear as anybody in the [tri-state] area.”
Thomas moved down south to rid himself of distractions and focus on qualifying. Being so close to his South Jamaica home, Thomas said, wasn’t good. In just a short time down in North Carolina, he’s grown more mature, which is another reason he chose Dayton. He’s lived a tough life, having lost friends to shootings and his brother, Christopher Ramsey, 25, who introduced him to basketball, was murdered a few years ago.
“I can go to Ohio and be focused,” he said. “Being an hour or two away is not good enough. This is what I need.”