Scoring 10.6 points per game and 80 assists on the season while averaging 4.4 rebounds per game and 25 steals this season, it’s not difficult to see why Alex Thomas is often named as the top player for the SF State men’s basketball team. To effectively describe how and why Thomas is a leader, you can ask just about anyone who knows him.

“He really has a deep understanding of the game and its strategy,” coach Bill Treseler said. “He has a good sense about human nature, he understands how guys respond to different kinds of leadership.”

The Gators may be a unique team in that they don’t have an official captain or co-captains; instead Treseler has let the team work into their roles naturally. Seniors Chris Rodriguez and David Van Someren have their own facets of the leadership role to fill—technical skills, comprehension of basketball and years, Treseler said.

Van Someren and Thomas understand each other on the court, Van Someren said, and it’s Thomas’ skills and drive that allow him to anticipate other players. When Van Someren tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) midway through the season, Thomas wore a black armband in honor of Van Someren’s struggle to stay healthy.

During Treseler’s tenure as head coach for Dominican University he recruited high-school senior Thomas, but before they had a chance to work together, Treseler left for SF State’s men’s basketball program. After a season under Dominican’s new coach, Thomas decided to follow the tutelage of Treseler to the Swamp.

Even though he knew he was taking a risk moving from a championship-winning team at Dominican to the floundering Gators, Thomas said the lure of being a part of the rebuilding and taking part in the success was not an offer he was willing to pass up.

The Gators’ (12-7, 7-5) are tied for fourth in the CCAA and knocking on the playoff door.

“Me and coach are really on the same page,” Thomas said. It’s not uncommon to find Thomas chatting strategy with any of the coaches, Treseler said, especially since he knows more about college basketball players and coaches than most coaches.

“What you really want in a leader is someone who’s going to be an example of what you think is important,” Treseler said. “He leads by word and by deed.”

Thomas is a team leader through actions—on and off the court—switching effortlessly between being his teammates’ biggest supporter to the most competitive and self-critical player on the hardwood. Being competitive isn’t something Thomas can just leave behind when he leaves the locker room. It follows him into class, homework, and will likely continue into his future.

His teammates respect his competitiveness and drive on the court and it’s not uncommon to hear him throw down a challenge to his roommate, forward Ryan Wessels, to get their homework done.

Thomas was the Cal-Pac Conference Freshman of the year at Dominican College, MVP at Hogan High School in Vallejo and voted the region’s best point guard.

He isn’t planning on leaving the sports industry anytime soon. After completing his business management degree next year he plans on moving into the realm of sports agent—managing professional players a la Jerry McGuire.

When asked who inspires him, Thomas named Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby as long-time basketball heroes. “Those type of players know how to get other people involved. I just like sharing the ball.”

“I’m a sports junkie,” Thomas said. He played baseball, football and basketball his first year of high school. Luckily the then-5-foot, 6-inch freshman came into some height—eight more inches—before his sophomore year, when he decided to focus on basketball. That season he was the varsity point guard with his team making the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

Last year Thomas had a team high of 12.1 points per game and 71 assists, and is in a position to better his scoring average this season, racking up 80 assists with eight games to go. Renardo Page holds the record for single-season assists from 1991-92 season at 153.

Thomas said his leadership abilities came to him early.

“It was a role in high school. It was a role in middle school, and I have a younger brother so I’m used to it around the house,” he said.

Colin Thomas, 17, is graduating this year and is looking to follow his older brother’s footsteps as a college athlete—double Thomas trouble may be in store for the Gators next year.