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WHAT’S UP WITH CHRIS THOMAS?

Rob Harrington
robharrington@prepstars.com
January 27, 2012

Over the past three or so years, we’ve seen an increasing number of players change their high school classes in unique ways. While players taking a fifth year is a time-honored tradition spanning back more than a decade, recently some players actually have begun to move forward a class to get to college sooner. Those prospects typically are re-classing forward to catch up with their original classmates, but nevertheless it’s a relatively new phenomenon.

But the story to emerge this week was downright strange. Elite junior guard Chris Thomas left South Kent (CT) Prep — where he was expected to spend the next two years — and enrolled at Chipola (FL) Junior College.

Thomas had been considered one of the best national prospects in the Class of 2013, lighting it up at times last spring and summer. Instead, he now intends to spend the 2012-13 academic year at Chipola and be eligible for Division I along with everyone else in the 2013 class. Xavier has been mentioned prominently on his list of suitors, but it’s obviously very early and the recruitment could branch out in any number of directions.

Selfishly, of course, we hate the opportunity to watch him on the travel circuit in upcoming months. That said, perhaps this move is best for him academically and socially as he matures from a teenager to a young adult.