Florida State University Athletics
Friday, November 22
Uncasville, Ct.
5:00 p.m.
Florida State
vs
Temple University
Justin Thomas Quickly Making His Presence Felt As A Seminole
11/21/2024 4:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – In just five games as a Seminole, guard Justin Thomas has showcased his offensive and defensive abilities in helping lead the Seminoles to a 4-1 record. On offense with a 7.0 points per game average and tied for the team lead in assists, and on defense with eight steals, the redshirt senior transfer is quickly growing comfortable in his new Seminole colors.
During Tuesday's game against Hofstra, Thomas set a career-high with four steals, leading the Seminoles to 14 steals total. He scored 11 points against Florida and nearly helped lead the Seminoles to a victory over the nationally ranked Gators in just his fourth game at Florida State.
Thomas and the Seminoles are in action on ESPN+ during their upcoming game at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday against Temple at 5:00 p.m. Florida State's game on Sunday in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off against UMass is slated for ESPN2 at 3:30.
Thomas is quickly getting used to the larger crowds at the Seminoles' home arena and enjoys helping his new team win games.
The crowd erupts when Florida State's arena announcer belts out the now-iconic phrase, "JT for three!"
"In the Florida game when I hit the threes -- I think that was a big momentum shift," Thomas said. "It definitely got the crowd behind me as well. It felt amazing."
Thomas' basketball journey is shaped by his family, with early inspiration coming from his three older brothers.
"My brothers (Quinton, Joshua, Julian) and my cousin (Travay) influenced me to play because I'm the youngest of four," he said. "Seeing all my brothers outside playing all the time, I just grew up around the game."
Quinton played four seasons of Division I basketball at Nicholls State (2014-15 and 2015-16) and at Southeastern Louisiana (2017-18 and 2018-19).
"It was very motivating to see my older brother go to college on scholarship," said Thomas. "He is definitely someone that I am proud to say he is my older brother. He did not go to a college far from where we lived so there were a lot of late night gym sessions after my high school games and after his practices. He laid out the blueprint for me. He pushed me to be better and I will always know that he helped me get to where I am today."
That family bond remains a driving force. Recently, several family members traveled from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to watch him play in his first rivalry game against Florida.
"My mom, my aunt, three of my cousins, my brother (Julian Brown), and even one of my cousin's babies were at the game," Thomas said. "Being closer to Louisiana makes it easier for them to come watch me play. I felt their love and energy—not just for basketball but in life."
Standing at 6-foot-7 Thomas exemplifies the versatility of a Florida State guard. He combines his size with the ability to deliver clutch shots.
Thomas' collegiate journey has been a winding one, taking him from Division II Queens College in North Carolina to Navarro Junior College, to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Texas-San Antonio before joining the Seminoles for the 2024-25 season.
"There's definitely a change in culture for me here at Florida State," Thomas said. "Florida State has such a rich history of winning. That sets a high standard, and I know I need to rise to that level. The fans, the coaching staff, and my teammates have all made the transition easier."
Thomas is determined to leave his mark on the program, with ambitions of leading the Seminoles to new heights.
"My goal is to bring my experience and do whatever I can to help the team win," he said. "I want to make it to March Madness and help this team make a deep run."
Thomas' desire to stand on the shoulders of the Seminole greats who helped build the Florida State program is evident by the uniform number he chose to wear during his career in Tallahassee.
Thomas is the 20th player in school history to wear the No. 25 jersey, a number famously donned by Florida State Hall of Famer Hugh Durham. As a player from 1956-59, Durham scored 1,281 points, averaging 18.9 points per game. As a coach, he led the Seminoles to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the NCAA Tournament national title game in 1972.
Thomas' defensive skills, with four steals and numerous deflections against Hofstra also caught the attention of Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton, who praised his efforts against Hofstra.
"I thought Justin Thomas came in and gave us a great defensive presence," said Hamilton. "He really did an unbelievable job. He contained the dribble with tremendous effort. He was probably our best defensive player of the night."
Thomas is quickly proving himself as a valuable member of the Seminole squad.
Thomas is also making his mark academically. He earned his bachelor's degree from UTSA in multi-disciplinary studies in August of 2024 and is working on earning a second bachelor's degree in social science in his first year academically at Florida State. Thomas arrived at Florida State with two years of eligibility.
During Tuesday's game against Hofstra, Thomas set a career-high with four steals, leading the Seminoles to 14 steals total. He scored 11 points against Florida and nearly helped lead the Seminoles to a victory over the nationally ranked Gators in just his fourth game at Florida State.
Thomas and the Seminoles are in action on ESPN+ during their upcoming game at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday against Temple at 5:00 p.m. Florida State's game on Sunday in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off against UMass is slated for ESPN2 at 3:30.
Thomas is quickly getting used to the larger crowds at the Seminoles' home arena and enjoys helping his new team win games.
The crowd erupts when Florida State's arena announcer belts out the now-iconic phrase, "JT for three!"
"In the Florida game when I hit the threes -- I think that was a big momentum shift," Thomas said. "It definitely got the crowd behind me as well. It felt amazing."
Thomas' basketball journey is shaped by his family, with early inspiration coming from his three older brothers.
"My brothers (Quinton, Joshua, Julian) and my cousin (Travay) influenced me to play because I'm the youngest of four," he said. "Seeing all my brothers outside playing all the time, I just grew up around the game."
Quinton played four seasons of Division I basketball at Nicholls State (2014-15 and 2015-16) and at Southeastern Louisiana (2017-18 and 2018-19).
"It was very motivating to see my older brother go to college on scholarship," said Thomas. "He is definitely someone that I am proud to say he is my older brother. He did not go to a college far from where we lived so there were a lot of late night gym sessions after my high school games and after his practices. He laid out the blueprint for me. He pushed me to be better and I will always know that he helped me get to where I am today."
That family bond remains a driving force. Recently, several family members traveled from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to watch him play in his first rivalry game against Florida.
"My mom, my aunt, three of my cousins, my brother (Julian Brown), and even one of my cousin's babies were at the game," Thomas said. "Being closer to Louisiana makes it easier for them to come watch me play. I felt their love and energy—not just for basketball but in life."
Standing at 6-foot-7 Thomas exemplifies the versatility of a Florida State guard. He combines his size with the ability to deliver clutch shots.
Thomas' collegiate journey has been a winding one, taking him from Division II Queens College in North Carolina to Navarro Junior College, to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Texas-San Antonio before joining the Seminoles for the 2024-25 season.
"There's definitely a change in culture for me here at Florida State," Thomas said. "Florida State has such a rich history of winning. That sets a high standard, and I know I need to rise to that level. The fans, the coaching staff, and my teammates have all made the transition easier."
Thomas is determined to leave his mark on the program, with ambitions of leading the Seminoles to new heights.
"My goal is to bring my experience and do whatever I can to help the team win," he said. "I want to make it to March Madness and help this team make a deep run."
Thomas' desire to stand on the shoulders of the Seminole greats who helped build the Florida State program is evident by the uniform number he chose to wear during his career in Tallahassee.
Thomas is the 20th player in school history to wear the No. 25 jersey, a number famously donned by Florida State Hall of Famer Hugh Durham. As a player from 1956-59, Durham scored 1,281 points, averaging 18.9 points per game. As a coach, he led the Seminoles to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the NCAA Tournament national title game in 1972.
Thomas' defensive skills, with four steals and numerous deflections against Hofstra also caught the attention of Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton, who praised his efforts against Hofstra.
"I thought Justin Thomas came in and gave us a great defensive presence," said Hamilton. "He really did an unbelievable job. He contained the dribble with tremendous effort. He was probably our best defensive player of the night."
Thomas is quickly proving himself as a valuable member of the Seminole squad.
Thomas is also making his mark academically. He earned his bachelor's degree from UTSA in multi-disciplinary studies in August of 2024 and is working on earning a second bachelor's degree in social science in his first year academically at Florida State. Thomas arrived at Florida State with two years of eligibility.
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