The sky’s the limit
Village Christian alum Justin Thomas playing with Division II power Queens
Rodd Baxley
The Fayetteville Observer USA TODAY NETWORK
Bart Lundy was quick to say he wasn’t comparing Justin Thomas to a certain NBA All-Star.
But the Queens University of Charlotte men’s basketball coach didn’t shy away from saying that Thomas has a few of the traits that could help him become an elite talent.
“Not saying he’s going to be like Jimmy Butler,” Lundy said of Thomas.
“. … He’s got a lot of that type of game and I just think he could be special.”
Lundy coached Butler for three years as an assistant coach to Buzz Williams at Marquette. Butler, who joined the Golden Eagles after a year in the junior college ranks, is now a five-time NBA All-Star.
The 6-foot-7, 232-pound wing has the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 1-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics. He scored 20 points in Miami’s 117-114 win on Tuesday.
Thomas is only an inch shy of Butler’s height, but the Village Christian alum will need time to build on his 195-pound frame.
“We loved him as a kid; he has just such a great demeanor,” said Lundy, who is entering his 13th season at Queens and has led the Royals to five
consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament with almost 400 games as a head coach at the Division I and Division II levels.
“He’s polite and such a great person. Then, we loved him as a player with his versatility. He has a tremendous upside and we just think the sky’s the limit for him and where he can go with his career.”
Thomas, who started his basketball journey in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, came to Fayetteville and helped the Knights earn back-to-back appearances in the NCISAA 3-A state championship.
He teamed up with Columbia freshman Zavian McLean to form a potent one-two punch for Village Christian, finishing his senior season as the Knights’ second-leading scorer.
Thomas started his final prep season with a bang after scoring the go-ahead basket in Village’s 88-87 win against Word of God. By the end of the season, the Knights had claimed a conference tournament title and another runner-up finish in the state tournament.
Now, Thomas will suit up for one of the premier Division II programs in the nation.
The Royals, who have won back-to-back regional championships, had earned a No. 2 seed in the 2020 NCAA Division II tournament before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A member of the South Atlantic Conference, Queens has been the region’s Elite 8 qualifier in each of the past two years the NCAA tournament has been played. The Royals advanced to the semifinals in 2018 before losing in the Elite 8 in 2019.
As a team that likes to lean on its full-court pressure with the ability to switch defenders at any given time, Queens and Lundy were drawn to Thomas’ versatility.
“We like guys, we call ‘em ‘switchables.’ He’s definitely a ‘switchable,’” Lundy said of Thomas.
“I don’t think there’s anybody on the court he can’t guard, whether that’s a smaller guard or a big guy.”
Offensively, Lundy added, “it’s kind of the same deal” for Thomas.
“He’s so versatile — he can put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the 3,” Lundy said. “Once he gets a bit stronger and grows into his body, he’s a pretty special player.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
Village Christian alum Justin Thomas playing with Division II power Queens
Rodd Baxley
The Fayetteville Observer USA TODAY NETWORK
Bart Lundy was quick to say he wasn’t comparing Justin Thomas to a certain NBA All-Star.
But the Queens University of Charlotte men’s basketball coach didn’t shy away from saying that Thomas has a few of the traits that could help him become an elite talent.
“Not saying he’s going to be like Jimmy Butler,” Lundy said of Thomas.
“. … He’s got a lot of that type of game and I just think he could be special.”
Lundy coached Butler for three years as an assistant coach to Buzz Williams at Marquette. Butler, who joined the Golden Eagles after a year in the junior college ranks, is now a five-time NBA All-Star.
The 6-foot-7, 232-pound wing has the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 1-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics. He scored 20 points in Miami’s 117-114 win on Tuesday.
Thomas is only an inch shy of Butler’s height, but the Village Christian alum will need time to build on his 195-pound frame.
“We loved him as a kid; he has just such a great demeanor,” said Lundy, who is entering his 13th season at Queens and has led the Royals to five
consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament with almost 400 games as a head coach at the Division I and Division II levels.
“He’s polite and such a great person. Then, we loved him as a player with his versatility. He has a tremendous upside and we just think the sky’s the limit for him and where he can go with his career.”
Thomas, who started his basketball journey in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, came to Fayetteville and helped the Knights earn back-to-back appearances in the NCISAA 3-A state championship.
He teamed up with Columbia freshman Zavian McLean to form a potent one-two punch for Village Christian, finishing his senior season as the Knights’ second-leading scorer.
Thomas started his final prep season with a bang after scoring the go-ahead basket in Village’s 88-87 win against Word of God. By the end of the season, the Knights had claimed a conference tournament title and another runner-up finish in the state tournament.
Now, Thomas will suit up for one of the premier Division II programs in the nation.
The Royals, who have won back-to-back regional championships, had earned a No. 2 seed in the 2020 NCAA Division II tournament before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A member of the South Atlantic Conference, Queens has been the region’s Elite 8 qualifier in each of the past two years the NCAA tournament has been played. The Royals advanced to the semifinals in 2018 before losing in the Elite 8 in 2019.
As a team that likes to lean on its full-court pressure with the ability to switch defenders at any given time, Queens and Lundy were drawn to Thomas’ versatility.
“We like guys, we call ‘em ‘switchables.’ He’s definitely a ‘switchable,’” Lundy said of Thomas.
“I don’t think there’s anybody on the court he can’t guard, whether that’s a smaller guard or a big guy.”
Offensively, Lundy added, “it’s kind of the same deal” for Thomas.
“He’s so versatile — he can put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the 3,” Lundy said. “Once he gets a bit stronger and grows into his body, he’s a pretty special player.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
