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Like women's players Nicole Seekamp and Madeline White, Adam Thoseby hails from Australia. And his career at South Dakota has meant adjusting not just to a new country and a new school, but a new role with the Coyotes.
Adam Thoseby’s life has been a series of different environments. He was born in Australia, raised in England and now playing basketball in the United States. But the biggest change he’s made in his hoops career came when he transferred from Utah State.
“South Dakota recruited me first actually…and just, seeing South Dakota and where it was, I was just a little bit nervous about the environment, but I was totally wrong about it. It’s a great place to be and a great school," Thoseby said.
“He reconnected with us and visited with campus and he fell in love with the place, fell in love with the team and our staff,” added Coyotes interim head coach Joey James. "That was the end of that story of him committing and signing here.”
By rule, Thoseby had to sit out last season after transferring. But the wait was well worth it, as he got to learn more about those around him.
“I actually think the biggest thing was becoming closer with the team," Thoseby said. "Learning about their personalities was a lot more helpful than anything I would’ve learned with the system, just being close with everyone else on the team.”
Thoseby started this season eager to prove himself, but that energy didn’t always translate to the court. That forced James to remove Thoseby from the starting lineup. But it’s a role James is familiar with, having his place in the starting lineup taken when he was a senior for the Coyotes.
“I tried to talk to Adam about the same experience that I had here and kind of walk him through the steps of just because you’re not starting doesn’t mean you’re not a part of this program," James said. "Just because you’re not starting doesn’t mean you’re not going to play.”
And Thoseby has responded by playing his best basketball of the season, using his athleticism to score both inside and out.
“I’ve actually been playing better since I moved to the bench, so if that means I’m helping my team more in that way, then that’s fine. It’s not an issue at all.”
James likes to call Thoseby a three-level scorer: someone who can drive to the hoop, create his own shot, and shoot it from the outside. And right now, he’s the leading scorer coming off the bench, averaging 8 points per game.
http://youtu.be/VawRQCDKfMU
*Author: David Brown
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