Senior guard Emaan Thomas just might be the ultimate team guy for Jacobs.
If not, he’s pretty close.
Still, Thomas fills plenty of roles for the Golden Eagles as a playmaker, defender and scorer. And he teams up with fellow senior guards Ben Jurzak and Nolan Roper to provide a veteran core.
“I’m a hustle guy,” Thomas said. “I do whatever the coaches want me to do — whatever is expected of me. Defense. Hustle. Whatever they need me to do, I’ve got it.”
That much was clear Saturday morning as the 5-foot-11 Thomas joined Roper in leading a surge in the second quarter that rallied host Jacobs from an 8-5 deficit to a 49-35 win over South Elgin in the first round of the 16-team Hinkle Holiday Classic that continues through Friday.
Roper ended up with 13 points for the Golden Eagles (7-2), while Jurzak added 12 points and Thomas tallied 10 points to go with a game-high five assists. Samson Averehi had 10 points and 14 rebounds, with Carson Goehring coming up with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Junior guard/forward Darrion Thurman led South Elgin (3-9) with eight points off the bench.
A hustling Thomas, however, scored on a floater in the lane that opened a second quarter that saw Jacobs outscore the Storm 24-6. At the 5:13 mark, he flung himself airborne parallel to the floor at the top of the key to come up with a loose ball and keep a play alive.
“You’ll see that from Emaan just about every game,” said Jurzak, who leads the team with an 18.7 scoring average. “We try to preach that as a team.
“Just try to lay out, put your body on the line to get a loose ball, get a rebound, and he does that as well as anybody.”
Jacobs coach Jimmy Roberts smiled at mention of the play.
“It describes Emaan and hopefully is a representation of our program,” Roberts said. “That’s how we play. That’s one of our things (assistant) coach Jack Denny is always yelling out, ‘First to the floor.’
“If there’s a loose ball that hits the floor, we want to be the first body to hit the floor, not the other team. Emaan’s a program dude who’s been with us forever and, yeah, he’s first to the floor.”
Thomas confirmed that Roberts emphasizes players being in control of what they can control.
“That includes turnovers and 50-50 plays getting the balls,” Thomas said. “Getting my teammates involved is one of my biggest things.
“I know I love getting the ball, so I imagine everyone else loves getting the ball. If I can get them more opportunities, it gets me more, too.”
Jurzak is a fourth-year varsity player who recently topped 1,000 career points. Roper and Thomas are third-year varsity players. Thomas averages 7.3 points and Roper follows at 7.1 points.
Roberts pointed out that the trio has attended the program’s camps since third grade.
“It’s great to see, at least early on, those kids having success in their senior year,” Roberts said.
Jurzak indicated that Jacobs relies on Thomas for a lot.
“Emann handles the ball and usually guards the other team’s best guard,” Jurzak said. “He controls us. He’s a leader. He makes shots. He does it all.”
Thomas, who plays AAU with Jurzak at Mercury Elite, also wants to play at the next level.
He’s an excellent student with a 3.9 GPA, weighted to 5.7 from Advanced Placement and honors classes he takes.
“I’m getting a few looks, hoping opportunities come to me,” Thomas said. “I’m trusting in God.”
Roberts figures Thomas will be fine, just like he is on the court.
“He understands he has to handle the ball, guard, and if he gets opportunities to score, handle them,” Roberts said. “If the right opportunity presents itself to play in college he can play.
“He does have some good academic offers, too.”
