Last year Keith Thomas became a star. He was 6-foot-6 and athletic yet incredibly skilled for his size. Thomas was perhaps the best passing big man in the area.
As a junior, he helped Yorktown reach the Class AA semifinals at the County Center. The ‘Huskers nearly upset Mount Vernon, making it a game until the final minute.
Clearly, Thomas was among the top five or so players returning in the section. But all his promise for a big senior season disappeared last August when he faced felony assault charges.
Thomas instantly fell off the local basketball map… until Saturday. That night at the CYP I noticed a tall, athletic and skilled player by the same name on the New Jersey Roadrunners. I asked the coach if it was the same Thomas who starred at Yorktown and he said he didn’t know. “I just met the kid two weeks ago.” But one look at the floor sealed it. Thomas was wearing shiny green adidas sneakers. That was enough evidence for me. (That’s Thomas — green adidas and all — pictured above battling St. Anthony’s Davon Collier in the post.)
I sat next to Thomas for a minute after the game. Between that and a talk later with his godfather, who lives in Rockland and helped connect Thomas with the Roadrunners.
It turns out Thomas has been enrolled at BOCES in Yorktown Heights. He said he hadn’t played basketball all winter and was just getting back into the game. He intends on playing for the Roadrunners and for the AAU Bronx Lions with the hope of finding a community college team for the fall.
“I didn’t do much in the winter,” Thomas said. “I’m just jumping into this team. Other than that, I’‘m just looking for any team to play with.”
Obviously, Thomas has a past to overcome but his talent is undeniable. Even with an entire winter away from basketball he more than held his own against Frenji’s front line of high school stars and Division I players. Thomas battled in the paint, grabbing several rebounds and scoring a few layups/putbacks in the paint. And on a couple occasions he showed the unselfishness and vision that really set him apart for a players his size. On one play in the first half he spun for a layup and was challenged by four long arms. Before they realized it Thomas had dumped a pass to a teammate along the baseline for a wide open layup. Those were few and far between against Frenji’s size but Thomas’ setup was so perfect many of us could’ve finished it.
Anyway, I’ll do my best to follow Thomas’ story in the future. He has faced personal failings already but there’s no doubt I’d be considering Thomas as a first-team all-star candidate had he played this season. And how about Yorktown? With Jordan Moody and Thomas, the ‘Huskers would’ve challenged for a berth at the County Center.
To those of you who were looking forward to hearing more about Thomas, sorry it took an extra day. I’m away on vacation this week. Someone (maybe me) will check in if anything breaks, and my colleague Rick Carpiniello will contribute a few thoughts on the new documentary about Mount Vernon basketball that debuted on Saturday.
24 Comments
I heard that the kid had some legal issues which is a real shame. Anyone with his size/athleticism would have a shot at the next level.
Let’s hope he gets his groove back at a JUCO.
Good story to follow Josh.
I hear there is a-lot of basketball talent in prison. Maybe he can play for Greenhaven. I’ll reserve my best wishes for his victim.
Josh … Can you tell us when the All County selections for Westchester and Rockland will be posted? Thanks!
its amazing that a story is done on someone who was arrested and charged with a felony.
Yea, this is a new low for the JOurnal News.
I need not hear about criminals, thank you very much.
I would think you could find other more deserving people to write about
to make it worse josh broke down the moves he made on the court. You gotta be kidding me. Oh yeah, and this story was researched because a blogger said what ever happened to the kid. So josh does what the blogger asked. The blogger could of been a teenager with no brains. Horrendous
Are we supposed to root for this “kid”? Seriously? He displayed “unselfishness and vision” on the court! That is the ultimate in irony.
No you dont have to root for him but you can hope he has learned his lesson. Anyone can screw up, you hope he changes his ways and leads a productive life. I dont know the kid at all but I hope he becomes productive person rather then a burden on society. He’s at a crossroads now and its up to him which way he goes.
mvfan71
He’s already come to a crossroad, last August. Of course I hope he becomes a productive member of society, my wife and kids have to share the community with him. I’m just saying it was a poor decision to run an article about the kid, given that he is facing felony charges. I like reading about crime in the police blotter, not the sports section.
im sure jail will work
Bob, I tend to have control on the blog, but you are nothing more than a loud mouth internet punk. I don’t condone what the kid did, but his situation is relevant to this blog. He was a very prominent player in Section 1 and throughout the year people have asked about him. Nothing wrong with what Josh did.
Your act is old. You have come on the blog the past couple of weeks and posted garbage. Nothing sports related. Just dumb comments. Grow up.
HRs,
Amen
10 and 14,
Josh is a reporter, who reports on stories of interest. If you’ve read a newspaper or watched the evening news in the past 40 years you’ll have noticed plenty of stories and coverage on topics that may involve a crime or someone going down the wrong road. Check out ESPN.com, everyday they have a story of some athlete who got in trouble with the law. Should Josh work on a different standard? No. I thought it was a nice personal interest story. I don’t think Josh meant to gloss over his indiscretions. The interesting part of the story is also the sad part with this kid wasting his talent and opportunity in life. I hope he turns his life around.
Not picking up a basketball all winter would be enough to scare away most colleges. Plenty of kids have had problems before, but seemingly giving up playing is a bad, bad move in my opinion.
HR & Hoops Fan
Local paper,local athlete,local crime. This was more than an update, it was a feature article that went to great lengths to be complimentary about his game. I’m not demonizing Keith Thomas or Josh for writing the article – I just think it gave too much to someone who doesn’t deserve it, in my opinion. I’ll let others have the last word.
On a side note, look at Devon Collier all over him right in front of the ref.
Why is this kid now a Yorktown kid…From what i know he is a Mount Vernon kid. I heard he got in legal trouble in Mount Vernon before being sent to Yorktown to get into more trouble.
Why did not the vaunted Mount Vernon basketball program do something with this kid before all the felonies were comitted?
This kid would of helped Brandon White rebound this past season if they did not excile him from Mount Vernon.
Maybe Mt. Vernon would have helped him if it wasn’t for the legal trouble. Its not the obligation of Mt. Vernon’s program to help everyone in the city of Mt. Vernon. They help a great number of kids and keep kids out of trouble but there are ones they cannot help, or in some cases its better off for the team and the program not to take them in.
Josh,
Thanks for writing the article, I’ve always wondered what happened to this kid after I heard he got in trouble. Remember his game against MV very well, and I do consider it sports related. Too bad some people on this site have nothing better to do than bash a kid who screwed up like many KIDS do. Should we start a list of pro atheletes who were arrested? might take a few days
give the kid a chance….
Dillon, couldnt agree with you more. Bob Cimino is a basketball coach not the chief of police.
mvfan71… right on the money
14 and Bob are right on the money on this one. The only sympathy or compassion should be held for the victim. This is a slam dunk.
12 or 13 should be considered kids. calling 16, 17, 18 year olds “kids” is garbage. for each action let there be a consequence.
I think High school athletes still fall under the catagory of being kids, I guess unless they screw up, then ther are men? Please, if this kid had the rescources to attend a Prep School with a great basketball program he may be a Big East candidate but things did’nt work out for him. I take it no one you ever knew got caught up in the wrong crowd, and things went wrong changing they’re lives. It’s unfortunate, but in some cases forgivness and being presented a 2nd chance should be presented. It’s not murder or rape we are talking about… he stole
spacecadet –
I’m with you on all that you said about a kid making a mistake and picking up the pieces.
He did, however, do more than steal. He shot someone in the leg with a BB gun that became enlodged in the victim’s leg – that earned him felony assault. Hopefully the victm has no long term injuries as a result of that incredibly stupid act.
Hopefully basketball gives this kid an opportunity to straighten himself out—give him some direction in life. The world has too many people on the wrong side of the law as it is.
Coach Reeves
I know there was a weapon involved, and regardless of if it was shotgun or a slingshot it was wrong. I don’t think anyone will dispute that. This was a mistake, and it’s about about being offered a chance to do something about it..I’m glad we agree.
Thank god he was caught now with just the BB gun, and this did not get any worse. I hope the victim has fully recovered.
Mistake is knocking someone drink over. Shooting someone with a BB gun is something much worse. Was this his first crime or first time he got caught?
From what I’ve read, its the first time he got in trouble with the law, and that’s all that really counts. This was poor judgement by a Junior in High School and there is nothing that can be done about that. I don’t know the kid and have no connection to anyone that does. The two issues, are is it something that Josh should have reported on a sports blog, and should he be allowed a 2nd chance.
I’m on record as agreeing to both.