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Sophomore Blanca Thomas strongly considering NC State

CHARLOTTE — There is easily one player that Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic sophomore center Blanca Thomas gets compared to.

The 6-foot-5 Thomas is the same height and from the same state as NC State senior center Elissa Cunane, who is projected to be a top pick in the WNBA Draft. The 6-5 Cunane of Summerfield, N.C., is averaging 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the No. 3-ranked Wolfpack, who won the ACC regular season title.

Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic sophomore center Blanca Thomas was offered by NC State on April 30, 2021.
Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic sophomore center Blanca Thomas was offered by NC State on April 30, 2021. (Jacey Zembal/The Wolfpack Central)
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NC State offered Thomas on April 30, 2021, and she unofficially visited the Wolfpack on June 13. She returned this winter to watch them play Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

“I hear the Cunane comparison a lot,” said Thomas, 15. “She’s a really good player. I look up to her as a college player. She and [Virginia Tech’s] Elizabeth Kitley are the two bigs that I look up to. I base my game on how they do it and I see how they get used.”

Thomas was able to meet Cunane while unofficially visiting NC State, and she was gracious with her time.

“She was so nice and she’s a legit 6-5,” Thomas said. “We are about the same height and we got a picture together.”

NC State coach Wes Moore and his staff have made a strong impression. She talks most often with assistant coaches Erin Batth and Nikki West.

“They are all personable coaches,” Thomas said. “I love them all, and the girls. I haven’t met all of them, but I got to meet a few. They are so welcoming and they will help recruit you as much as the coaches are.”

The who’s who of women’s college basketball has offered Thomas or checked on her progress. She has offers from NC State, Charlotte, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Western Carolina. Ole Miss was her first offer Dec. 29, 2020, which was before she even played a high school game.

The next wave of offers could come from Texas, Notre Dame and Stanford, and she’ll make an unofficial visit to South Bend, Ind., at the end of March.

“I have been to Oregon and Michigan for football games, though I might be missing some,” Thomas said. “I’ve been able to go to NC State vs. Virginia Tech to watch Elissa Cunane and Kitley. I watched Tennessee play Stanford and South Carolina play Stanford. I also went to UNC at NC State. Those were good games to learn from.”

Thomas is fresh off of scoring a season-high 29 points against Charlotte Independence in leading 24-2 Charlotte Catholic to its conference tournament title. The Cougars host Greensboro (N.C.) Page today in the NCHSAA 4A playoffs. MaxPreps has Thomas averaging 14.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game this season.

“This year has definitely been different due to the COVID year [last year],” Thomas said. “We also moved up to 4A and moving up a conference has been a big change for us as a team. We are also younger.

“I’m definitely more confident this year. Last year, I was a freshman and didn’t feel I could be a leader. I was just scared to do things that I knew I could do.”

The two losses came against Charlotte Providence Day, who is in the NCISAA state tournament, and Charlotte Providence High.

“It definitely caught us off guard because we haven’t had many games where we were down,” Thomas said. “Those two games, we knew it would be a dog fight. It is about team chemistry and picking each other up.”

Thomas is one of four players from North Carolina who HoopGurlz ranks in the top 25 in the class of 2024. Sanford (N.C.) Grace Christian power forward Sarah Strong is No. 5, Thomas is No. 6, Huntersville (N.C.) 1 of 1 Prep Academy center Ella Hobbs is at No. 16 and point guard Zamareya Jones of Bethel (N.C.) North Pitt is at No. 23.

They are on different traveling teams, with Thomas playing for Carolina Flames 17s this spring and summer.

“I was at school and just sitting in class and my phone was just blowing up, and we aren’t allowed to be on our phones,” said Thomas on finding out she got ranked No. 6. “I was like, ‘What is happening?’ I was initially eighth and that I was just put in the top 10. I was at a loss of words.

“It is just the grind because this is what I’ve decided to do and have put the work in.”

Thomas figured she’d be tall based on the height of her family members. Then it came down to preferring basketball or volleyball.

“My whole family is above 6-foot,” Thomas said. “Initially, I started off playing basketball because my family loved it. We all grew up around it. I love doing it and I put the work in it.

“I had great people around me and pushing me.”

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