Prospect Spotlight: Landon Thom (2022 Westside Christian HS)
Unfortunately the second half of his sophomore season was lost to injury. But before then, it could be argued that Landon Thom Landon Thom 6'2" | CG Westside Christian | 2022 State OR was one of the top players in…
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Continue ReadingUnfortunately the second half of his sophomore season was lost to injury. But before then, it could be argued that Landon Thom Landon Thom 6'2" | CG Westside Christian | 2022 State OR was one of the top players in the state in 3A. The strong 6-foot-2 combo guard was getting things done on the court for Westside Christian and now that he’s spent a few months rehabbing and getting back to 100 percent again, he’s raring to get back on the floor and show college coaches that he’s a legitimate prospect for the next level.
Looking back on this past year, Thom reflected on the time when he was able to play for the Eagles. “It just felt natural, decisions came to me seconds ahead and I just felt like no one could stop me when the rock was in my hand,” Thom said. “I had games where I hit multiple threes and others where I scored 20 on just layups. Other games I wasn’t on the stat sheet as much so I felt like as a leader I was playing my part.”
Alas midway through the season, Thom came down funny on one play and as a result, ended up with a closed fracture on the top of his foot and a third degree ankle sprain with other minor strains throughout the leg. It ended up costing him the rest of the year but he worked hard on his recovery.
“I had a couple weeks in crutches then 2 months in a walking boot and in that, 3 months of physical therapy,” Thom said. “I was then allowed to start running and working out myself in March. We have been working really hard on my legs for a better jumping ability and faster explosions for defense.”
Thom feels that he’s pretty much back and has been focusing on a few areas of his game. “I am feeling like I’m just getting back to where I left off with my injury,” Thom said. “I think just being quicker will elevate my entire game creating more opportunity for finding my shot and getting ball handling in every day to get the yo-yo handles as my coach calls it.”
Part of Thom’s immediate goals is to capture the attention of college coaches, some of whom have seen his film, where he really shows himself as a physically mature player who can score in a variety of ways. On Monday when college coaches could first contact rising juniors, the combo guard started hearing from several schools and currently the ones that stand out most to him are Eastern Washington, San Jose State, Central Washington, and Azusa Pacific. He’s obviously happy about receiving D-I and D-II interest but is keeping all of his options open, with certain things in mind when it comes to the next level.
“I look for consistency whether it’s a shooting percentage or the coaching staff,” Thom said. “And the most important piece to me is player development, how much better is every player from freshman to senior year. If they have good player development then the guys they bring in for the team must buy in which makes greater opportunity for wins over losses and just like anyone else I hate to lose.”
Thom doesn’t have a current plan when it comes to AAU basketball but when club ball resumes, he hopes to latch on with a team for the late summer and fall. He currently ranks as the #25 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2022 rankings.