Cleveland Thomas
{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Cleveland Thomas
| image = 23,_Chris_Crews,_DSC_0307.jpg
| caption = Thomas in the bottom with Western Kentucky.
| position = Shooting guard
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 195
| league = Rwanda Basketball League
| team = REG
| number = 5
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|12|2}}
| birth_place = Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
| highschool = Scotlandville Magnet
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
| college =
- New Mexico (2012–2014)
- Hartford (2015–2016)
- Western Kentucky (2016–2017)
| draft_year = 2017
| career_start = 2017
| years1 = 2017–2019
| team1 = Zlatorog Laško
| years2 = 2019–2021
| team2 = KTE-Duna Aszfalt
| years3 = 2021–2022
| team3 = Apollon Patras
| years4 = 2022
| team4 = REG
| years5 = 2022
| team5 = Al-Ahli Benghazi
| years6 = 2022–2023
| team6 = Beirut Club
| years7 = 2023
| team7 = REG
| years8 = 2023
| team8 = Dorados de Chihuahua
| years9 = 2023
| team9 = Pazi
| years10 = 2024
| team10 = Al-Naft
| years11 = 2024
| team11 = Al Wahda
| years12 = 2024
| team12 = Halcones de Ciudad Obregón
| years13 = 2024–present
| team13 = REG
| highlights =
- BAL assists leader (2023)
- RBL champion (2022)
- RBL All-Star (2022)
- Alpe Adria Cup winner (2018)
- Second-team All-America East (2016)
}}
Cleveland Joseph "Pancake" Thomas Jr. (born December 2, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the REG of the Rwanda Basketball League.
High school career
Thomas attended Scotlandville Magnet High School. As a senior, he averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists per game, earning Class 5A All-State honors. Thomas posted 21 points and 11 rebounds in an 82–48 victory over McKinley High School in the state title game.{{cite news |last1=Bishop |first1=Chad |title=More to WKU's Pancake Thomas than a nickname |url=https://www.wbko.com/content/news/More-to-WKUs-Pancake-Thomas-than-a-nickname-411646645.html |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=WBKO |date=January 24, 2017}}
College career
Thomas began his college basketball career with New Mexico, helping the Lobos reach the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. He averaged 3.9 points per game as a sophomore and saw his minutes dwindle as the season progressed. Thomas opted to transfer following the season, but tore his ACL three days later. He opted to come to Hartford, one of the few schools to show interest despite the injury. As a junior, he averaged 19 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and had four 30-point performances.{{cite news |last1=Conner |first1=Desmond |title=UHart's 'Pancake' Thomas Leaving Team |url=https://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-hartford-men-basketball-pancake-thomas-0825-20160824-story.html |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=Hartford Courant |date=August 16, 2016}} Thomas transferred to Western Kentucky for his redshirt senior season.
Professional career
Thomas played for KTE-Duna Aszfalt during the 2020–21 season and averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. On September 6, 2021, Thomas signed with Apollon Patras of the Greek Basket League.{{cite news|title=AS Apollon Patras land Cleveland Thomas, ex KTE-Duna|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Greece/news/703719/AS-Apollon-Patras-land-Cleveland-Thomas,-ex-KTE-Duna|accessdate=November 9, 2017|work=Eurobasket.com|date=September 6, 2021}} He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. On February 4, 2022, Thomas parted ways with the team.{{cite web |last1=Mammides |first1=Chris |last2=Obradovic |first2=Igor |title=Thomas left AS Apollon Patras |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Greece/news/729400/Thomas-left-AS-Apollon-Patras |website=Eurobasket |access-date=February 4, 2022 |date=February 4, 2022}}
In March 2022, Thomas was added to the roster of Rwandan club REG for the 2022 BAL season, the second season of the Basketball Africa League.{{cite web |title=Rwanda Energy Group BBC (RWANDA) |url=https://bal.nba.com/teams/rwanda-energy-group-bbc-rwanda?view=roster |website=The BAL |access-date=8 March 2022 }} On March 6, he scored a game-high 26 points in his league debut to help REG win the first game over AS Salé.{{cite news |title=BAL debutant REG upset former African champions AS Salé |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/bal-debutant-reg-upset-former-african-champions-as-sale |access-date=8 March 2022 |work=The BAL }} He also went on to win the Rwanda Basketball League championship in 2022.
In October 2022, Thomas played for Al-Ahli Benghazi in the 2022 Arab Club Basketball Championship. He later joined Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League (LBL) and West Asia Super League (WASL).{{Cite web |title=Cleveland Joseph THOMAS JR at the WASL – West Asia League 2023 |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/wasl/22-23/westasia/player/Cleveland-Joseph-Thomas-Jr |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=FIBA.basketball }}
On February 15, 2023, Thomas re-joined REG.{{Cite web |last=Sikubwabo |first=Damas |date=2023-02-15 |title=Cleveland rejoins REG ahead of BAL 2023 |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/5051/sports/basketball/cleveland-rejoins-reg-ahead-of-bal-2023 |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=The New Times }} He played in the 2023 BAL season with REG.
In July 2023, he joined Mexican side Dorados de Chihuahua.{{Cite web |last=Sikubwabo |first=Damas |date=2023-08-09 |title=Cleveland Thomas joins Mexican side Dorados de Chihuahua |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/9788/sports/basketball/cleveland-thomas-joins-mexican-side-dorados-de-chihuahua |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=The New Times }}
In November 2023, Thomas joined Pazi BBC in Tanzania.{{cite news|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/africaleague/2024/qualifiers/news/tanzanian-champions-pazi-steps-into-the-unknown-in-the-joburg-elite-16|title=Tanzanian champions Pazi steps into the unknown in the Joburg Elite 16|publisher=FIBA|date=November 19, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}
Personal life
BAL career statistics
Awards and accomplishments
=Club=
=Individual=
- RBL All-Star: (2022)
- Second-team All-America East: (2016)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Pancake-Thomas/Summary/42634 RealGM profile]
- [https://golobos.com/roster/cleveland-thomas/ New Mexico Lobos bio]
- [https://wkusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/pancake-thomas/130 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Cleveland}}
Category:Al Ahly Benghazi basketball players
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Hungary
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Slovenia
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Tanzania
Category:Apollon Patras B.C. players
Category:Basketball players from Louisiana
Category:Dorados de Chihuahua (LNBP) players
Category:Hartford Hawks men's basketball players
Category:New Mexico Lobos men's basketball players
Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:KK Zlatorog Laško players
Category:Kecskeméti TE (basketball) players
Category:Halcones de Ciudad Obregón players