By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
It’s always in the back of an athlete’s mind and the inevitability of it is something they’d rather not think about.
Centenary’s Seth Thomas is no different.
The 6-foot-5 senior has been playing basketball all his life, including an outstanding five-year career with the Gents. These days, he’s got a lot to look forward to as Centenary heads into the NCAA Division III Tournament Friday in San Antonio.
He’s also got something to not look forward to.
Thomas is faced with his basketball career being over. Every game could be his last game. There’s only one way to avoid that – keep winning.
“The other day, Coach (Chris Dorsey) was saying that could be my last practice,” Thomas said. “I’m just going out there every day thankful to be here and thankful to practice one more day and hope that carries over to the games.”
For now, he is focused on the Gents’ opening game against Nebraska Wesleyan Friday at 5:05 p.m.
“At the beginning of the season, we had a team meeting and everyone was focused on winning a championship,” said Thomas, a Kilgore, Texas, native. “I knew everyone was willing to put in the work to get it done.”
Playing in the NCAA Tournament is not a new experience for Thomas. He is one of two holdovers from the 2019-20 team that made it to the D3 Tournament but lost 83-81 to UT-Dallas. (Thomas is in his fifth year of eligibility because that season did not count against his eligibility due to the pandemic.)
“My freshman year we had a great group of teammates,” Thomas said. “We fell short on a ball that went in and out. Back then, it was just the unknown because I had just come out of high school. It was just a surreal feeling. But now that I’ve been there and have that experience, I feel like we have the team that can get the job done.”
It’s a far different role for him this time around. He is the Gents’ leading scorer at 16.2 points per game – he’s the only player averaging in double digits – and leads in other ways as well. Thomas plays far more minutes per game than any other Gent.
“It’s definitely been a challenge to take on the leadership role,” he said. “Learning how to lead each player and bring them all together is something I had to learn. But I’ve had teammates come to me and say they were all behind me and that they were looking up to me. It just means a lot to me that the guys look up to me.”
His favorite moment came when the third-seeded Gents won the conference championship at home last weekend in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship game. The Gold Dome came alive as the Gents came away with 83-76 win over Colorado College. Thomas had 18 points to go along with 33 points by Tykeem Singleton, the other holdover from the 2019-20 season.
“Just to see all the people who had never won a championship raise the trophy and cut the nets down and all the smiles, that was special,” Thomas said. “It was a great feeling to play in front of a big crowd.”
Despite leading the team in scoring and rebounding (7.9 per game), Thomas points to another aspect of his game as being a strength. “I have crazy vision,” he said. “I feel like my IQ is pretty high for the type of player I am. I just see the floor a certain way that allows me to make certain passes that are kind of ridiculous, but it gets the job done. I feel like I’m good at making my teammates better.”
Not surprisingly, Thomas also leads the team in assists at 3.2 per game.
Centenary (17-11) will be an underdog against the 19th ranked Prairie Wolves, who are 23-4 and have made it to 18 Division III Tournaments, including five trips to the Final Four.
A win by the Gents would set up a meeting with the winner of Trinity (23-3) and University of Texas at Dallas (18-9) Saturday night.
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com