2025 NBA Draft: Saint Thomas Will Stand Out in Logjam of USC Wings

After dominating the Big Sky Conference at Northern Colorado, the wing prospect is ready to show he's an NBA-level talent in the Big 10.

Mar 17, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Fans take in the action between USC Trojans and Michigan State Spartans during the first round of the NCAA men s basketball tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Basketball Ncaa Men S Basketball Tournament / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

After a flurry of coaching moves that resulted in former Arkansas coach Eric Mussleman's taking the USC job, the transfer portal followed suit, bringing an influx of talent to Southern California and raising the bar for Trojan hoops going forward.

In addition to the subject of this piece, Saint Thomas of Northern Colorado, Mussleman brought in several other off-ball perimeter players with which Thomas will have to contend, including Boise State wing Chibuzo Agbo, San Diego wing Kevin Patton Jr., Washington shooting guard Wesley Yates, and Michigan combo forward Terrance Williams.

While having this much talent is always a good thing for a head coach building a winning program, it can become an obstacle for players looking to improve their draft stock. For Saint Thomas, a 6-foot-6 wing transfer entering his senior season at the collegiate level, it may just push him to the next level.

Last season for the UNCO Bears, Thomas averaged 19.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 stocks per game, a completely dominant force on both sides of the court that had one of the best seasons in Big Sky history in his lone year there.

A player that likes to score from multiple places on the floor, Thomas is a perimeter player that likes to take about a third of his shots from the rim, as he's a great cutter that finds himself in exellent position to get good looks off of passes. Though not extremely efficient from three, hitting about 33% overall from distance, he still shows good form on such shots, and his 86.8% free-throw rate lends credence to his developing consistency from deep.

His main competition at the wing spot will be the aforementioned Boise State transfer Chibuzo Agbo, who himself averaged 13.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season in the Mountain West Conference. Though Agbo is the better shooter between the two, hitting about 41% from three last season, Thomas has more playmaking and defensive skill than Agbo does, giving Musselman a tough decision.

It's likely both will see plenty of floor time this year, even together, as they do have some complimentary skillsets. Both will see a dip in scoring production likely, as there are so many talented players on this USC roster, but it is feasible that Thomas could hold serve with his assist numbers given the amount of weapons that will surround him, including Agbo.

If Thomas wants to be drafted this year, which feels likely given his skill level and production, arguably his most important asset will be his ability to see the floor and make good reads from the wing spot. If he can continue to do so at a high level, Thomas could be a high second-round pick.

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