Evan Thomas has joined an elite group of Hope College men’s basketball players as NCAA Division III All-Americans.
The junior from Okemos, Michigan (Okemos HS) has been selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America Teams. He is one of 10 second-team honorees and 30 honorees overall.
It is the 18th time a member of the Flying Dutchmen has been chosen an All-American.
Head coach Greg Mitchell said the NABC recognition places Thomas in very elite company nationally.
“It is so well-deserved after the season he had,” Mitchell said. “To lead the league in scoring and rebounding from the guard position is a testament to the well-rounded player that he is.
“After his sophomore year he committed himself to taking his game to another level with the work he put in in the weight room and the gym. On top of that, he became an incredibly strong leader for our team which is a direct reason why we experienced the success that we did collectively. Achieving All-American status cannot happen to a better student-athlete than Evan.”
Thomas averaged a career-high 19.6 points, 9.0 points and 1.3 steals per game for the outright MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen.
Thomas scored in double figures 24 out of 28 games this season, including the final 20 in a row. He scored a career-high 36 points during an 81-78 win at Adrian College on January 19.
Hope also won the MIAA Tournament and finished with a 22-7 overall record after losing to Wheaton College (Ill.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament, 71-69.