Reale Mutua Basket Torino is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with the US athlete Donte Thomas, a 201cm power forward.
Player born in 1996, last season Thomas wore the Heroes Den Bosch jersey, with which he played 40 games between the BNXT League (the Belgian-Dutch league) and the FIBA Europe Cup, averaging 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in the league and 6.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in continental competition.
CAREER – A native of Illinois, Thomas attended Thornwood High School, in the state where he was born and raised. Upon graduation, he earned a NCAA Division I call from Bradley University, where he spent his entire college career, 2014-15 through 2017-18. His numbers, along with his use on the court, grew over his four years in college, until he was placed in the second team of the Missouri Valley Conference his senior year (11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game). Out of college, Thomas faced his first professional experience in Finland, with KTP Basket in Korisliiga. In the following season he wore the shirt of Donar Groningen, Holland, with whom he also made his continental debut in the FIBA Europe Cup. Then his first Italian experience in Cantù, in Serie A, where he produced 7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game (for him also a season high of 21 points and 12 rebounds in a derby against Varese). Returning to the Netherlands in 2021/22, he played again for Donar Groningen before moving on to Heroes Den Bosch. Now he is preparing to return to Italy to wear the yellow and blue shirt of Basket Turin.
“Donte is a player who reflects the characteristics we were looking for,” said coach Franco Ciani. “He knows European basketball well, he has already played in Italy, in Serie A1 in Cantù. Tactically, he can play multiple roles due to his physical and athletic qualities and his ability to adapt to the needs of the team. He reflects that concreteness that we were looking for for that role.”