SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Roadrunners have brought in another experienced guard for their roster, as head coach Steve Henson announced the signing of Justin Thomas on Wednesday, July 12.
"Justin is extremely gifted," Henson said. "The game seems to come very easily for him. He is a big guard who can see the floor and distribute or score the ball. He plays with great pace and is very versatile, which allows him to fill up the stat sheet. We envision him being a player who can play four positions for us."
Coming in at 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds, Thomas hails from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and comes to San Antonio following one season at Milwaukee, where he helped the Panthers to an impressive 22-12 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the College Basketball Invitational.
Thomas played in 33 games with 14 starts in Milwaukee, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game for the Panthers. He shot 43.2 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from the perimeter, scoring in double figures in nine outings. Thomas led the team in both assists (98) and steals (40), ranking 14th and 13th in the Horizon League, respectively. He also finished ninth in the Horizon in assist/turnover ratio (1.4). Among his key outings last year, he drilled a game-winning buzzer-beater three against UC Davis to appear at the No. 3 spot on SportsCenter and delivered a commanding 19-point, 13-rebound, four-assist, three-steal performance against Southeast Missouri State.
Before moving to Wisconsin, Thomas played one season at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, working his way into a starting role by the end of his 28-game season with the Bulldogs. Thomas shot 44 percent to average 12.6 points per game, also contributing 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest. He scored in scored in double-figures 20 times, putting up 28 points against Tyler and 26 points versus Bossier Parish to top his performances. Thomas got started at Division II Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. He shot 70 percent (21-of-30) from the field, 57.1 percent from the arc and 85.7 percent at the free throw line, but only saw limited time - averaging 8.7 points and 1.5 rebounds for the 23rd-ranked Royals.
Originally from the Pelican State, Thomas wrapped up his prep career at Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he helped lead the Knights to consecutive NCISAA 3-A State Championship runner-up finishes. A 2020 NCISAA 3A All-State honoree, he was second on the team in scoring as a senior and was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports out of high school – ranking as one of the Tarheel State's Top-10 rated high school recruits from the Class of 2020 by multiple services.
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