Ohio State junior DeShaun Thomas is headed to the NBA Draft.
A veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv he could go late first round, while DraftExpress.com has him going at No. 22 in the second round.
“He’s a big, strong left,” the scout said. “He led the Big Ten in scoring and free throw shooting. Inside or outside as well as off the bounce, he can and will score the ball.”
“My three years at Ohio State have been the best years of my life,” Thomas said. “I have grown tremendously as an individual and as a basketball player. I intend to return to finish my degree, but I believe that now is the best opportunity to pursue my dream and begin my career as a professional basketball player. I will always be a Buckeye and am blessed to be a part of the Ohio State University family.”
Thomas finished his career No. 9 in all-time scoring at Ohio State with 1,630 points. He led the Big Ten Conference in scoring as a junior with 19.8 points per game. His total of 733 points last season is third most in Ohio State history.
Over the last three years, Thomas helped lead the Buckeyes to 94 victories, three NCAA tournament appearances, three NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a pair of Elite Eights and to the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans.
The Buckeyes also won Big Ten regular-season titles in 2011 and 2012 and earned a pair of Big Ten tournament titles in 2011 and 2013. Ohio State has appeared in the last three Big Ten tournament title games.
