SARNIA – We’re not kidding when we say JK is headed North.
After a standout career south of the border, guard Jakylen ‘JK’ Thomas has officially committed to Head Coach James Grant and the Lambton Men’s Basketball Program for the 2023-24 season and beyond.
Thomas is the eighth member of the 2023 recruiting class for Grant and his coaching staff. He joins a star-studded recruiting class that features the likes of Brandon Bogart (St. Thomas, Ont.), Albin Gashi (Cambridge, Ont.), Evander Doxilly (Sarnia, Ont.), Brian Avalo Barrera (London, Ont.), Sulaiman Murtaza (Cambridge, Ont.), Denin Lual (Windsor, Ont.), and Cameron Diniz (Cambridge, Ont.).
“I’m looking forward to continuing my collegiate career at Lambton College,” said Thomas. “It’s a new style of game than what I played in JUCO, with the 24-second shot clock up here, but I think that it will suit my game pretty well as I like to play up-tempo.”
Thomas comes to Lambton College on the heels of a stellar JUCO career. The native of Marion, Indiana first starred at Marian University’s Ancilla College for the Chargers for two years before playing for the St. Clair County Community College (SC4) Skippers last season.
During the abbreviated 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas averaged 18.6 points per game over 16 regular season appearances. For his efforts on the court, Thomas was recognized as the 2021 Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, while also being named a 2020-21 NJCAA Division II First Team All-American.
Thomas put together a shooting line of 46.7/47.4/81.6 during his stellar rookie season.
The following season, Thomas averaged 19.2 points per game over 25 games for the Chargers.
During the 2022-23 season, his first at SC4 with the Skippers, Thomas was named to the All-Eastern Conference Second Team after averaging 18.9 points on 46.0% shooting from the field over 29 appearances.
Over the course of his three seasons in the MCCAA, Thomas recorded 20 or more points on 31 occasions.
Coach Grant is excited about the potential that Thomas brings to the Lions.
“JK Is a player that we were really hoping would choose to come to Lambton College from the first time we seen him play in JUCO,” said Grant. “He possesses all of the intangibles that can make a great guard here in Canada.”
“His resume in the USA speaks for itself, and we are lucky to have him choose to be a Lion.”
With his commitment to the Lions, Thomas will now suit up alongside a player who he has faced off against on many occasions, most recently during his time at Ancilla College. Current Lions guard Jerry Wilson played at Macomb Community College prior to committing to Lambton College for the 2022-23 season, and played against Thomas during his time with the Chargers. The opportunity to play alongside Wilson, who is a fellow American, was an exciting possibility for Thomas heading into the 2023-24 season and good feedback from Wilson helped Thomas ultimately commit to the Lions.
Academically, Thomas will be enrolled in the Sports & Recreation Management Program at Lambton College.
The Lions are coming off a 2022-23 season that saw the group be one of the last four teams standing in the OCAA for the second year in a row. Coach Grant and the Lions finished fourth at the 2023 OCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in Windsor, and they will be looking to climb back onto the podium in the coming year.
With the addition of Thomas to the mix, the Lions have given their offense a significant boost and have helped to solidify their back court rotation in the process.
Welcome to The Den, Jakylen!