FAYETTEVILLE — This is the 10th of a 12-part series reviewing the 2016-17 season for each of Arkansas’ scholarship players.
DUSTIN THOMAS
Position: Forward
Class: Junior
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Stats: 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 turnover, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks
48.6 FG%, 20 3PT% (5 att), 65.7 FT%, 18 MPG, 27 starts
Per 40 stats: 11.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks
SEC stats: 4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 turnovers, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals
46.8 FG%, 0-3 3PT, 56 FT%, 10 starts
Offensive rating: 108
Defensive rating: 103.3
Net rating: 4.7
Best month: November, 7.6 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1 topg, 0.8 spg, 54.2 FG%
Worst month: February, 4.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 spg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 topg, 48.4 FG%
STRENGTHS
— Above average leaping ability and agility for a 4. Vertical helped him grab some contested rebounds at times.
— Has good passing ability and vision. Can lob high-low passes as well, make passes out of post-ups and put the ball on the floor while still identifying open shooters. Had 5 games with 3 or more assists and averaged a decent 2.4 per 40 minutes. Still, the playmaking part of his game didn’t fully show in games, in part because he seemed hesitant to be aggressive in that area and also because the ball-dominant nature of the Hogs’ guards meant he didn’t have the ball in his hands as often and wasn’t asked to fill a playmaking role.
—Able to create havoc at the front of the press on occasion. Active guarding inbounder and then trapping in full-court situations.
— Rarely posted up, but was fairly successful when he did, despite his lack of size, averaging 0.839 points per possession and ranking in the 61st percentile of players, according to Synergy Sports. He shot 45 percent on post-ups and drew a foul on 1 of every 5 post-up possessions.
— Good at bating defenders into fouls. Used pump fakes to get larger defenders in the air and create contact. Averaged 0.46 free throws per shot attempt, a ratio that ranked third out of the 9 players on the team who averaged more than 1.5 shots per game.
— Shot 58 percent on 1.3 offensive rebounds per game, putting him in the 74th percentile of players nationally.
— Generally a smart defender.
— Arkansas' starting lineups performed better with him in it than either Arlando Cook or Adrio Bailey.
WEAKNESSES
— Inconsistency plagued him. He started the first 13 games and then came off the bench for 9 of the next 13 as Mike Anderson searched for a reliable option at the 4. Neither he or Arlando Cook were able to provide that. His confidence appeared to wane at times and his playing time down the stretch reflected the coaching staff’s indecision with the position: he played 15 or fewer minutes in 10 of the final 21 games once SEC play started, including 3 games with single-digit minutes, after playing more than 15 in all but 2 of the 13 nonconference games.
— He and the rest of the Razorback 4s were unable to consistently stretch the floor, something opposing defenses took note of. As the year went along, defenders sagged off Thomas to either double Moses Kingsley or clog the driving lanes, confident he wouldn’t be able to hurt them with his jumper. They were often right. Thomas made just 10 of 32 jumpers (31.3 percent), ranking in the 18th percentile of college players. He generally got good looks off feeds from teammates thanks to a lack of coverage, but ranked in the 9th percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers, making just 6 of 22, which includes 1 of 5 on unguarded looks. Didn’t stretch the floor, only taking 5 3-pointers (1 made) all season. He used his transfer year to work and make his shot more balanced with less fading away and leg kicking. The results showed in practice and at times in games, like against Seton Hall, but more often than not he slipped back into old habits in-game. Hasn’t made improvement as a shooter in 3 college seasons, shooting a combined 27 of 95 (28.4 percent) on jumpers with his best season being 31.2 percent as a freshman at Colorado.
— Was a decent free throw shooter (65.7 percent), but dipped to 56 percent in SEC play. Started to split trips to the line late in the season.
— Looked overmatched at times against size or athleticism. Was good at pump faking defenders, but still had issues with getting his shot blocked at the rim. Had issues finishing around the rim on dives, ranking in the 29th percentile nationally in cuts while making 51.2 percent of his shots. His issues against size appeared to make him hesitant at times after catching passes near the paint, leading to travels or rushed shots.
— Has good athleticism and came down with some contested boards, but was not a great rebounder. Arkansas’ shaky perimeter defense forced Moses Kingsley to have to contest shots at the rim a great deal. The other Razorback bigs often struggled to clean up the boards when Kingsley went after blocks, evidenced by Arkansas ranking 333rd out of 351 Division I teams in defensive rebounding.
— Not a rim protector. Had just 9 blocks in 36 games.
— His lack of height and bulk wasn’t a big issue, but he did on occasion struggle to guard on the block, allowing opponents to shoot 11 of 19 on post-ups.
— Struggled to avoid foul trouble, averaging a team-high 6.4 fouls per 40.
LOOKING AHEAD
Thomas’ performance against Seton Hall in the NCAA Tournament was one of the key reasons Arkansas won and advanced. He played big minutes (season-high 31), played well off Kingsley while knocking down jumpers and scoring 13 and dished 3 assists. That game was a glimpse of what Thomas could provide at his best, a difference-maker who gave the Hogs added punch at the 4.
He possesses a potentially valuable skill set, but that performance was more the exception than the rule in Thomas’ first season at Arkansas. He provided flashes of being that type of player, but will, like the rest of the 4s, need to become more consistent moving forward. This will be an important offseason for him, given the depth at the position moving forward, including Arlando Cook, Adrio Bailey, Brachen Hazen, signee Darious Hall and at times Trey Thompson.
Part 1: Adrio Bailey
Part 2: Jaylen Barford
Part 3: Anton Beard
Part 4: Arlando Cook
Part 5: Dusty Hannahs
Part 6: Brachen Hazen
Part 7: C.J. Jones
Part 8: Moses Kingsley
Part 9: Daryl Macon