Inside the commitment: Jamarii Thomas

Senior Norfolk State transfer guard Jamarii Thomas — the MEAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year — announced a pledge to South Carolina men’s basketball Sunday, flipping his commitment from VCU.

Below we take a look at several aspects of this huge addition to the program, exclusively for GamecockCentral subscribers.

The recruitment

This recruitment was fascinating.

Thomas took a visit to VCU last weekend and committed to the Rams. The South Carolina staff had encouraged him to not commit and give them a chance prior to that visit, but in his words, he was “hard-headed” and went ahead and committed, but then ultimately decided to take a visit to Columbia this past weekend anyway since he hadn’t signed yet.

Thomas was on campus Friday and Saturday along with his mom and little brother but it appears this one was kept more quiet than other transfer visits. This is yet another example that even when things are somewhat quiet, this staff is still working.

While Thomas is not a name that we picked up on early in the portal process, he told GamecockCentral that Carolina was involved with him pretty soon after he entered the portal early last month and they turned up the heat in recent weeks.

In addition to VCU, it was South Carolina and Oklahoma that were pushing the hardest down the stretch.

Back to that official visit — Thomas told us that with the way the trip went, it was “pretty much a no-brainer” to join the program.

The Greensboro, N.C. native wanted the chance to play close to home and wanted the chance to play in the SEC. He also loved the way he and his family were treated by the staff and the vibe he got from Lamont Paris. As he described it, he knows he’ll have to play within a system but that he also knows he’ll have the chance to play free in Columbia.

It’s also not lost on Thomas that a point guard was the final missing piece in the construction of the 2024-25 roster.

Thomas committed to the staff on Saturday and then announced his pledge on Sunday afternoon.

The evaluation

Thomas should compete immediately for the Gamecocks starting point guard job and win it.

The 6-foot, 185-pounder led the Spartans with 16.9 points, 3.8 steals and 2.1 steals this past season while starting 30 of 33 games. He also shot a career-high 38 percent from 3-point range.

The On3 Industry Ranking, an average of the rankings from On3, 247Sports and Rivals, considers Thomas the No. 61 point guard and No. 298 overall prospect in the portal.

It’s also worth noting that in addition to being the MEAC Player and Newcomer of the Year, he was also conference All-Defense, and told us that he loves playing defense, something that you obviously have to do to get on the court for Paris.

— One source described Thomas as “smart, crafty and athletic.” He also plays with a chip on his shoulder and can both shoot the 3-ball and get to the free throw line. He’s an aggressive player that should fit right in with the attitude Carolina wants to have on and off the court.

— Thomas is a natural leader and strong communicator. He appears to be driven kid who has been dreaming of an opportunity to play at the highest level. He’s also family oriented.

— One source who has watched him play quite a bit said he’s a “dog.” He’s a “spark plug” who despite being 6-foot can jump out of the gym. Explosive athlete who can disrupt passing lanes and can elevate and finish at the rim. He started his career at UNC Wilmington but really came into his own at Norfolk because they gave him some room to breathe and play his game. He also showed he could score from all three levels.

— What are the Gamecocks getting in Thomas? Here’s an evaluation in his own words:

“The player they’re getting is a hungry player. I’m a dog. You see it. I play with a lot of passion and a chip on my shoulder. So you won’t see me not going hard or not playing to the best of my ability. Shots might not fall, but you’ll see me playing hard, diving on loose balls, getting steals, doing everything.

“From a player’s standpoint, I’m a scoring guard. I can pass, shoot, do anything. It’s just a matter of putting it into Coach Paris’ system and getting everything rolling. But I’m excited to be a Gamecock, man. It’s crazy because I always tell my people, and they tell me, that I can play at the highest level. Just knowing I can be a Gamecock is crazy, being close to home.

“I’m ready to play for them, not just for my team and coaches, but also for the fans. I’m excited to play for the Gamecock fans because I know how energetic and alive they can be. So I’m just excited to get out there and turn them up. I’m trying to bring as much excitement as I can. I have one year, and I’m just ready to go to work, ready to put on that Gamecock jersey.”

What’s next?

With the commitment of Thomas, the Gamecocks are now full for 2024-25 and the attention will soon officially turn to that team this summer.

South Carolina landed Palmetto State native post players Nick Pringle and Jordan Butler out of the portal in recent weeks. The 2024 high school class features three signees: Lexington (S.C.) four-star guard Cam Scott, Baxter (Ky.) Harlan three-star guard Trent Noah, and Omnia Basketball Academy (Helsinki) three-star forward Okku Federiko.

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