FORT COLLINS, CO. — The 2020-21 season was a rollercoaster of emotions for the Ram Faithful. 

Colorado State men’s basketball was able to record it’s second consecutive 20 win season — something that’s only been done three other times in the history of the program. The Rams were able to beat each of the other top teams in the Mountain West, including a historic 26 point comeback win over San Diego State at Viejas Arena. CSU was also the only team in the MW not to get swept in league play — something the guys should hold their heads up high about, considering the unique circumstances. Not since WWII have schedules been so unpredictable for college athletes. 

Despite everything the Green & Gold did well, though, after being the second team left out of the field for the NCAA Tournament, much of the Ram Faithful were left with a sour taste in their mouths. Those feelings of bitterness subsided a bit as they were able to enjoy a fun NIT run. But even so, I’m not sure everyone quite understands the importance of what the Rams were able to accomplish — both as a team and as a group of individuals. 

Even if this team did not accomplish all of its goals, this season was an overwhelming success on many levels. So, with that in mind, over the course of the next couple of weeks, we will dive into each player’s respective seasons, breaking down what they did well, where their game could be improved, and what their biggest moments were. 

First up: Dischon Thomas

Dischon Thomas has been a highly anticipated talent since signing with the Rams back in 2019. Originally committed to the University of Nevada under Eric Musselman, the former Hillcrest Prep (Arizona) starter had a variety of opportunities to play at the Division 1 level, including offers from UNLV and Saint Louis. Ultimately, though, Thomas opted to rock with Niko Medved and Colorado State and Ram fans should be ecstatic that he did. 

At 6-foot-9, 239 lbs., Thomas has the frame to bang down low and make an impact as a post defender and/or rebounder. There was a bit of an adjustment period as Thomas had to get used to the size and speed of the D1 game — a big reason why “DT” was moved from the starting lineup to the bench rotation early in the season. As his sophomore campaign went on, though, his growth as a “big man” and increased confidence on the floor were both extremely evident. 

Serving as one of the key rotational players this season, Thomas was able to find his groove  much like he did down the stretch of his freshman year. One area where he particularly thrived was on the offensive end, where DT’s ability to knock down jump shots along the perimeter made him a valuable commodity for a Rams team that doesn’t have great size but does have tremendous athletes that can get to the hoop.

Having someone like Thomas on the floor opens everything up for CSU offensively because it allows guys like David Roddy to worry less about the opposing team’s center in the paint. It also creates cutting lanes for the crafty guards, Isaiah Stevens, Kendle Moore, etc. Plus, it generally just makes the opposing team’s bigs uncomfortable as most of them do not want to have to come out and defend the 3-point line. 

So, why is Thomas not a starter? Well, obviously, he would like to be in the starting lineup. He’s a competitor and that’s natural. But what the numbers indicate is that Thomas is simply best served as a sixth man. 

For the season Thomas shot 44 percent from 3-point range (18-of-40), 48 percent from the floor and 68 percent from the free throw line. However, what stands out about his numbers is how much better they got after moving to the bench. 

In the eight games that Thomas started in 2020-21, the versatile forward shot just 34 percent from the floor and really struggled in most aspects of the game. In 111 minutes of action, Thomas scored just 25 points, committed 9 turnovers, and he really struggled to defend bigs without getting into foul trouble. Not great, right? 

Coming off the bench, though, Thomas was a completely different player. He shot nearly 20 percent better from the floor (53 percent vs. 34 percent). He significantly improved at the charity stripe (83 percent vs. 33 percent). Thomas also improved his 3-point shooting percentage by a few points (45 percent vs. 43 percent) — even in a much larger sample size (251 minutes). 

Thomas still has quite a bit of room to grow on the defensive side. He tends to get into foul trouble when matched up against elite post players for too long. That said, he looked more and more comfortable on defense as the year went on. Thomas was able to log some quality minutes against talented big men in the NIT and even recorded three blocks in 67 minutes of action in the event. 

For the season, according to college basketball reference, he did improve his defensive rating by allowing roughly 9 points less per 100 possessions than he did as a freshman. So, much like the theme for CSU men’s basketball as a whole, there was a lot to like about Thomas in 2020-21. 

Moving forward, it would be great to see Thomas continue to grow as post defender and scorer down low. As talented as he and some of his teammates are, CSU got worked a little bit by elite big men this season. One example: Neemias Queta absolutely taking over both ends of the floor in the MW Tournament semifinal game. 

DT has the touch plays down. He just needs to learn how to better deal with the physicality of the game on offense and defense. After matching his season-high total of 15 points against Louisiana Tech in the NIT consolation game, though, I’m very excited to see what Thomas looks like in the early stages of next season. He’s an incredibly skilled player and a guy that’s displayed a mature mindset over the course of his first two seasons at the D1 level. I have a feeling we have only scratched the surface of what Thomas can be for the Rams.