College Commitment: Khalid Thomas (2017 West Linn HS/College of Southern Idaho)
Just a few weeks ago, it looked as if Khalid Thomas was going to be taking his time with his college commitment. The versatile 6-foot-9, 210-pound from West Linn had picked up literally tens of scholarship offers after a standout season at the College of Southern Idaho, but he was looking at waiting until the spring before making any decisions. But things move fast in the JUCO world and after taking an official visit this past weekend, Thomas decided there was no need to wait any longer.
On Monday afternoon after taking an official visit to Texas Tech over the weekend, Thomas decided to pull the trigger and commit to the Red Raiders. “I was talking to my family and my coaches at CSI and I think it’s the best fit for me,” Thomas said. “I really don’t feel the need to take another visit because why do I need to take another visit when I was already comfortable with where I was just at.”
“I really enjoyed the visit overall,” Thomas continued. “It was a family atmosphere – that was one of the biggest things – and everyone there was hands on and involved with the players and the program, and I thought that was really cool.”
Thomas thoroughly enjoyed his visit where he spent a lot of quality time with the players and the coaching staff. “It was kind of the typical visit stuff, but it was more than that for me,” Thomas said. “It was a great time – I don’t even know where to start.”
In fact, the bond he had with head coach Chris Beard and his staff was one of the big reasons he decided to commit early. “(Beard) we have a really good relationship,” Thomas said. “He’s just a great guy all-around. He knows how to recruit – he puts it right on the table and is straight up with you. Our relationship is really solid and I’ve got a great relationship with him and (assistant) Coach (Brian) Burg. “
And of course, the way the Red Raiders operate on the court was a factor as well. “The style of play they have I feel really suits me,” Thomas said. “They like to get up and down and put the ball in the basket, but the way they do it is like my style of play.”
As noted, Thomas will no longer take a scheduled visit to Arizona, nor will he schedule anything with the likes of Baylor or Oregon. His decision may now be in the books, but you can bet that Thomas isn’t going to take any breaks. “I’m not checked out here – you can’t be if you want to get done here what needs to be done,” Thomas said. “I’m going to do everything I can to get my team to the national championship game and win it. I know that’s the goal for a lot of people but I’m serious. I want to do everything that I can to get there and win that thing.”
Whether or not CSI is able to accomplish that, Thomas can reflect on how two years ago he was only Honorable Mention All-State at West Linn and pretty much an unknown. His future now will be at the high major conference level.
“It’s huge,” Thomas said. “A lot of people didn’t think I could play at that level but there’s also those people that believe in me and really want me to succeed. I’m really excited about it.”