• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

LSU's Equalizer in the Middle: Thomas May Be the Man to Beat UCLA

Posted on: Friday, 31 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By Jim Mashek, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Mar. 31--The elevator opened at the fifth floor of the LSU Athletics administration building. Tyrus Thomas watched his head as he peeked out toward the hall and asked the question to no one in particular.

"Where's the food at?"

It's ironic, because a little nutrition, and some weight training, was all Thomas needed to become one of the most- feared players in college basketball.

Thomas enrolled at LSU in the fall of 2004, a skinny 6-foot-7 freshman who got pushed around in practice. He injured his neck and took a medical redshirt, which allowed him to work on his game, and his body, at his own pace.

The Tigers are pleased with how it's worked out. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Thomas scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in LSU's 70-60 overtime victory over Texas in the NCAA Atlanta regional final, which sent the Tigers to their first Final Four in 20 years.

And he might have had an even bigger impact in the semifinals against No. 1-ranked Duke, blocking five shots and grabbing 13 rebounds as the Tigers claimed a 62-54 triumph.

"I still think we have a lot to prove," Thomas said.

Thomas arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday as one of this Final Four's most intriguing players. While teammate Glen "Big Baby" Davis is glib and outgoing, Thomas is quiet, even brooding at times. Coach John Brady figured this out shortly after Thomas arrived in Tiger Town.

"He doesn't just walk up to you and embrace you," Brady said. "When we got around him on a daily basis and he found out we really cared about his development, he just blossomed. You've got to prove to Tyrus a little bit that you're for real."

Thomas is certainly for real, and his stock in the eyes of NBA scouts is clearly on the rise. Brady held him out of the Tigers' final two regular season games and the SEC tournament because of a high ankle sprain. But he's come back with a vengeance, and will be one of the keys when LSU (27-7) faces UCLA (31-6) in a national semifinal Saturday night.

"I expect an all-out fistfight," Thomas said. "There's no more time for secrets."

Davis is the Tigers' most adept front-line scorer, while Thomas is content to concentrate on defense and rebounding. He hit 10 of 14 shots, however, in the Tigers' victory over Texas.

"Our team is unique," Thomas said. "You can't shut down one guy on our team and expect the whole team to collapse. We don't have to rely on one guy to score."

The Tigers have relied on Thomas' defense near the basket. And it figures to be a critical factor in their pursuit of a national championship.

------------

Game plan

Who: LSU vs. UCLA.

When: Saturday, 7:47 p.m.

Where: RCA Dome, Indianapolis.

TV: CBS-4, CBS-5.

Radio: WWL-AM (870); WXBD-AM (1490).

Other semifinal: George Mason vs. Florida, 6:07 p.m.

Jim Mashek can be reached at 896-2333 or jwmashek@sunherald.com

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

More News in this Category