Pierce Thomas was rated as the sixth-best player in the state of Indiana and as the 29th-best small forward in the nation.
RICHMOND, Ky. – Pierce Thomas, who was an ESPN four-star recruit before spending two seasons at Butler, will join the EKU men’s basketball team beginning with the 2023-24 season.
The 6-foot-5 forward from Brownsburg, Indiana will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. In addition to being a four-star recruit by ESPN, Thomas was rated as the sixth-best player in the state of Indiana and as the 29th-best small forward in the nation. He was ranked among the top-140 players in the country by ESPN.
“Pierce is a dynamic player who brings a great basketball IQ, athleticism and length,” Head Coach A.W. Hamilton said. “He fits our style perfectly on both ends of the floor. He is a phenomenal young man with high character that will represent our university in a first-class manner.”
As a redshirt freshman this past season at Butler, Thomas played in 23 of the team’s 32 games and averaged 14 minutes per game. He contributed 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the field. He was fifth on the team in steals. Thomas pulled down five or more rebounds in five games, including a season-high six boards on three occasions.
High School
At Brownsburg High School, Thomas was a 2021 Indiana All-Star. As a senior he averaged 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. Thomas was chosen First Team All-USA Central Indiana Super Team by the Indianapolis Star.
During his junior season, Thomas averaged 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal per game for a Brownsburg High team that went 21-4 and won a sectional championship. He shot 45 percent from the field that season. He finished his four-year high school career with 1,215 points, 449 rebounds, 334 assists and 114 steals.
As a member of the BHS track team, Thomas won the state championship in the long jump and finished eighth in the 200m in 2019.
The 2022-23 EKU team finished the season with a 23-14 record and advanced to the championship of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The 23 wins were the third-most in program history. EKU has received two national postseason tournament invitations in the last four years. The Colonels placed third in the ASUN Conference with a 12-6 mark and advanced to the final four of the conference tournament.
The Colonels will look to turn their CBI experience into an NCAA Tournament run in 2023-24. The core of the team will return next season – including Michael Moreno, Devontae Blanton, Isaiah Cozart, Tayshawn Comer and Leland Walker. That group accounted for 77 percent of the team’s assists, 70 percent of its points, 66 percent of its blocks, 62 percent of its rebounds and 55 percent of its steals in 2022-23.
