O.T. to make Tigers growl?

Judging from his impressive resume, Omar Thomas has what it takes to make the Coca-Cola Tigers growl and break out of a sorry slump in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) San Mig Coffee Fiesta Conference.

The Tigers are 1-3 so far and play Purefoods in the first game of a doubleheader at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Thomas, 23, is fresh out of school like Purefoods’ Marquin Chandler and Red Bull’s Quemont Greer. He was recently cut by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Thomas flew in Friday night and looks ready to rumble.

"He’s in shape," said Coca-Cola coach Binky Favis. "He’s young and hungry. He knows how to play the game. He’s coachable and willing to learn. He’s like a typical rookie, asking questions, trying to fit in. There’s no doubt he can score but what makes him outstanding is he works hard off the boards. He’s not flashy, he rarely dunks, but he gets the job done like Sean Chambers used to."

Favis said original import Alex Carcamo played hurt and lacked the confidence to match up against imports like Ginebra’s Sean Lampley and Talk "N’ Text’s Damien Cantrell. Carcamo averaged 16 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.5 turnovers in four games before he got the pink slip.

The 6-4, 200-pound Thomas is in the record books as the all-time top scorer in US junior college history. Playing for Panola Junior College in 2001-02, he averaged 34.3 points and 19.1 rebounds. The next season, he hit at a 36.1 clip and grabbed 17.1 boards a game. Thomas posted single-game highs of 70 points and 36 rebounds.

From junior college, Thomas transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) where a teammate was Fil-Am Joe Devance, now playing in the Philippine Basketball League. In his first year at UTEP, Thomas averaged 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds. He came off the bench in 24 of 32 games but still managed to log 22.5 minutes an outing.

UTEP coach Billy Gillispie said: "O. T. (his nickname) doesn’t have a natural position on the floor. He’s just an instinctive basketball player who finds ways to score, rebound and win. I can’t think of a better guy to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line."

Gillispie posted the single-best turnover in NCAA history when he piloted the varsity Miners to a 24-8 record in Thomas’ first season from 6-24 the year before.

In Thomas’s second and last year at UTEP this past season, he averaged 20.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 32.1 minutes. He shot .406 from three-point range, .512 from the floor overall and .845 from the line.

It wasn’t easy for Thomas to get to where he is now. As a teenager in the North Philadephia projects, he was sent to a correctional facility for juvenile delinquents in Uvalde, Texas. Thomas was quoted by Pete Thamel of the New York Times as saying he was sentenced for a variety of charges including robbery, stealing and "beating up little kids."

But after 90 days in the facility, Thomas emerged a changed man. He said his mother Hazeline and sister Elaine watched over him and set him straight while his father Clayton and brothers Clayton, Jr. and Shaum languished in a Huntingdon, Philadelphia, prison for robbery and murder since 1990.

"When it was my turn to get put away and disciplined for my actions, it was a bad feeling," said Thomas. "I was young and the nights went on with no phone calls or anything. I was crying and crying. Once I get back, I’m never going down this path."

Thomas’ mother is his inspiration. She works two jobs to make a living as a bingo hall attendant and a maid taking care of elderly patients. His older sister, a police officer in Philadelphia’s 35th District, is also an inspiration and Thomas calls her "Moms."

Thomas, who honed his shooting skills by throwing up at least 500 shots a night in the gym, said he’s a no-frills player. "My game is all fundamentals," said O. T. "I’ve got an old man’s game."

A cross-country runner in high school, Thomas has earned the respect of coaches and peers alike.