Through three games, Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas has been the best scorer in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Thomas had 20 points alone in the first half against Cincinnati in the Buckeyes' Sweet 16 win. Thomas, who's never shy to chuck it up, is also quite the character off the floor. Zac Jackson of FSOhio had a running list of quotes on his Twitter feed from Deshaun's press availability this afternoon in Boston. And if you know the character and quirks of Thomas at all, it was the most entertaining non-basketball moment of the tournament.
Quotes, via @FSOhioZJackson, after the jump:
This beauty was the first one to catch my attention and I followed along from here on out. When athletes speak in the third person, it's considered incredibly arrogant and a huge turn-off. But from Thomas? Hilarious and endearing at the same time.
He can score on 3 people - and go third-person: "People are starting to notice now what Deshaun can bring to the table."
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
And of course when he's making sure to jack those shots up, he's well-aware of who's watching:
Thomas on whether his big run has caught NBA attention: "I'm gonna keep on doing what I'm doing. I'm pretty sure everybody’s looking."
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
In a deadly serious tone, according to Jackson, he also talked about his scoring prowess - which required an anecdote from grade school:
Deshaun Thomas on his evolution as a scorer: "When I was in middle school I had like 44, 33 (rebounds) and 11 – 11 blocks, too. Defense."
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
More humility from his grade school days, where he was a "special" kid:
Deshaun: "In fourth grade, that’s how I knew I was something special. I was in the gym throwing up shots and they were going in."
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
On his teammates just having to accept who he is...
Thomas on his teammates accepting his shoot-first mentality: They know how good of a scorer I am. They just laugh at it because that’s me.
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
..but don't try to put him a box either:
Me: "Deshaun, are you a power forward?" Deshaun: "I don’t know. Am I? I can be everything."
— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) March 23, 2012
Many thanks to Zac Jackson for doing the people's work and transcribing this gold. Thomas can be frustrating but he is a first-rate entertainer, whether he's aware of it or not.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Buckeyes, visit Along the Olentangy.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
