Recruiting Report: Devonte Thedford (2018)
Two years ago is was Chris King who was the main man at Des Moines Hoover, last season it was Douglas Wilson, now, it’s Devonte Thedford’s turn to take the reins.
The 6-foot-2 guard recently began his fourth season playing with the Huskies’ varsity, and his season is off to a tremendous start.
He’s hoping, with continued success, he’ll work his way into some scholarship offers soon.
“Division I JuCos have been contacting me, like Lamar Community College in Colorado, I’ve got Northeast Community College (NE), Hill College (TX) and SWCC, schools like that,” said Thedford, who elaborated on the JuCo option.
“It really depends how this year goes, if I have a great season then maybe I could pick up an offer or two. But if it doesn’t work out like that, I could see myself going JuCo.”
He added: “My ultimate goal is Division I. I just want to play basketball at the highest level, and experience that. I just want to get everything out of basketball that I can.”
Thedford spent his spring and summer playing with both Iowa Barnstormers 17U and Kingdom Hoops Elite. It was his mid-range pull-up that saw the most improvement.
“I’ve been trying to work on my pull-up a lot, trying to get more lift on it, and my footwork and my shot all-around, and finishing around the basket,” said Thedford. “And I’ve been working on my midrange a lot, and things like that.”
And after nailing a mid-range game-winner in Hoover’s season-opener against Ankeny, it’s safe to say, that hard work is paying off.
Thedford is averaging 17.3 points on 56 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds per game through Hoover’s first two, both wins.
“It’s a role that I’m embracing, I get to lead the team and lead by example. A lot of our guys are new, so I mean, you just gotta show them what it takes to win. It’s a pretty good role,” said Thedford.
“I’m expecting to average a lot more points this year, and shoot a better field goal percentage. I need to rebound more, because we’re a small team, and just defend the ball, always.”
And with Thedford at the helm, and a hot start under their belt, expect the Huskies to again be one of the toughest teams in Iowa.
“If we do what we’re supposed to do, which is five out motion offense and shoot the ball well and defend, than I think we’ll be a tough team to beat this year,” he said.