Pierce Thomas Ready to Take the Court for the First Time as a Bulldog

Jack McHugh

Pierce Thomas, redshirt freshman for Butler University Men’s Basketball, was one of the best
high school players in Indiana coming into his freshman year at Butler University. However, in
college basketball nobody cares about who you were in high school. Thomas was not ready for
that when he first arrived on campus in July 2021.

Thomas was the eighth best player in the state of Indiana and held offers from other top schools
including Ohio State University. When he arrived on campus, Thomas was no longer the super
star of his team as he was at Brownsburg High School. Everyone in college basketball was a
star in high school. The first couple weeks Thomas struggled with playing his game, “At first it
was rough not knowing where my place was,” he said.

After practicing with the team in the summer and starting the official fall practices for the
2021-2022 season in October, Thomas realized that he didn’t have the physical and mental
strength to compete at the college level as a freshman, so he decided to redshirt. Which means
that he can not compete at all during the season and will still have four years of eligibility. This
took a toll on Thomas’ mental health as he has always been the best player his whole life.

Thomas spent most of the season on the scout team helping his teammates prepare for their
upcoming opponents, but still was not happy with where he was at. “I struggled at the beginning
of the season fearing that I would never be good enough to play college basketball,” Thomas
said.

Thomas would come back every night trying to improve his game by working on his jump shot.
Quinn Harmon, basketball team manager, stated “I have seen a ton of improvement during our
workouts that is translating to practice where he is more confident to take open shots.”

“It was really just me versus me and getting out of my own way. All the fear that goes into that is
really a figment of your imagination,” Thomas said.

Thomas’ mental health has drastically improved over the past year, but when former Butler
University coach, LaVall Jordan, was fired, Thomas knew that he was going to have to prove
himself all over again.

“The biggest hurdle was adjusting to a coaching change without playing the year previous, and
getting back into a flow playing games and scrimmaging after not doing that for over a year,”
Thomas said.

Under new head coach Thad Matta, Thomas has been able to show off his unique skill sets as
an incredible athlete. In the team’s four exhibition games in Greece and Italy this summer,
Thomas showed off those skills to the world with highlight dunks in all four games.

“I am much more confident in myself and the team this year rather than during my redshirt year.
I have put in the work and am ready to showcase my talents and play my role for Team 125,”
Thomas said.
The Butler Bulldogs play their first game of the regular season on Nov. 7, 2022 against the
University of New Orleans. Thomas is looking to put the world on notice this season in hopes of
achieving his NBA aspirations in the near future.

CAPTIONS

Scene Setter - On October 1, 2022, Pierce Thomas works on his game at Hinkle Fieldhouse
with four weeks until their first exhibition game versus the Tiffin University Dragons.

Portrait - Pierce Thomas prepares for the season by shooting for two hours a day after practice.
“I look to continue to improve my ball handling and shooting in order to become a more diverse
and dangerous player,” Thomas said.

Tight Shot - With the season coming up, Thomas wants to show people that he can get back to
the level of stardom he reached in high school. “I am much better than last year but still have a
ways to go until I reach my goals,” Thomas said.

Detail Shot - Butler basketball is looking to get back to their winning ways with new head coach,
Thad Matta, leading the way. Watch the bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 7, 2022 against
the University of New Orleans.

Interesting Angle - Pierce Thomas works on his free throws, where the bulldogs only shot 69%
from the line last year. “Free throws have been a big emphasis for us this season,” Thomas
said.