Wesley Branch
Carmical Sports Media Institute
Get to Know: Noah Thomasson
Georgia’s Noah Thomasson is preparing for the next phase of his basketball career, coming off the team’s run to the NIT Final Four. A graduate transfer, Thomasson’s fourth stop in his college career saw him lead the Bulldogs in scoring and turn into the team’s late-game closer. The Richmond, Texas, native sat down to discuss the team’s NIT run, his end of game shot making and what the future holds for him.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Q: Going back to the SEC tournament loss against Florida, in that moment in the locker room, how was the team feeling about postseason play then and in the days after?
A: Well, we were very emotional. Not really knowing that it could be our last time playing with each other as a group. With the way the transfer portal is now, guys leaving and having to make those tough decisions. So in the moment, we really appreciated our time that we spent with each other, but we were a little optimistic. Coach White said, there’s a chance we could play again. I didn’t try to be too emotional because you just never know what can happen and it ended up working out in our favor.
Q: What was the reaction from the team when you received the opportunity to play in the postseason?
A: It’s a chance to play with each other again, the chance to play at Stegeman again, to host a game, to play postseason basketball, something Georgia hasn’t done in a long time. We knew it wasn’t the NCAA tournament, but there’s still the opportunity to play in the NIT. We were gonna make the most out of that opportunity. Especially the seniors, knowing that this could be their last time playing college basketball. So we tried to just go in with the mindset of just win one game at a time and see what happens next.
Q: Do you think the way the team viewed the opportunity was impacted by seeing several teams opt out of the tournament?
A: I think that’s just what this culture is about, the Georgia way is what people say. You look at our football team when they played in their bowl game, guys weren’t opting out, it’s the same thing with us. We have the opportunity to play, we’re not going to back out of that opportunity. We practiced the day before without knowing we were gonna get in and everybody had high spirits, knowing there’s a chance we could play. So I think that’s just a credit to what Georgia is about.
Q: How would you describe the experience of playing in the NIT?
A: It was a surreal moment. With it being my first time in postseason play, a chance to win something, represent this university while doing it is always special. My last year of college basketball, playing in the NIT and going to the Final Four is something you can’t ask for. It’s not the ideal run that we wanted to have, but at the end of the day we still got an opportunity that other teams didn’t get.
Q: What was the environment like at Wake Forest and Ohio State, being on the road in the postseason?
A: Well, we were prepared. We played in some of the most hostile arenas in the country, at Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky just to name a few. So we’ve been in those environments and we’ve done well in those environments. We beat South Carolina on the road, a team that was really good this year. So when it was our time to play on the road again, it was just like another game to us. Going to Wake Forest where it gets loud, Ohio State was really loud in there as well. I think this team was resilient the whole year. I think we played better on the road at times so it was just another game for us.
Q: Going back to the shot you made late in the game against Ohio State, what were you seeing from the defense in that moment?
A: My mindset throughout that play was if we do so happen to lose, I’d rather it be with me taking that final shot. I can live with my career ending on me missing a shot, that’s fine. I put trust in all my teammates, and we have really good players, but I just think that in those moments, I’ve made those types of shots before. So I got into my patented move and it went in. I knew that if I go hard, right and I step back he’s not going to expect it. So I did it and it went in, I knew it was good as soon as I left my hands.
Q: You talk about being able to live with possibly missing that shot, where does that confidence come from?
A: Just just all the work that I put in. At Niagara there were many times where I missed game winners and made game winners. You have to miss them to learn how to make them. I think that the biggest thing is I’ve been in those moments before where I’ve taken those shots and I’ve rushed them and I’ve missed them and in this moment I’m like, ‘relax and shoot it just like you would if it was 17 minutes on the clock, not 17 seconds on the clock.’
Q: What’s been the biggest contributing factor to your journey and your success as a player?
A: Just staying positive every day, knowing that there’s gonna be better days. I went to Houston Baptist my freshman year, a gym that has 500 seats, and that didn’t work out for me. The biggest thing is, I’ve been in these processes before where it’s been ups and downs for me, so I understood that it’s not the end of the world. There’s nothing wrong with going to junior college; go there, revive your career. Then when you get to Niagara, my mindset is ‘I’ve made it now, I’m ready for this moment. I’m ready to lead a team and help this team as much as possible.’ So I did that on that level. Then after that, I knew it was time to showcase my talents on the biggest stage and that was either the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, whatever league. I knew I was ready for that moment then. So the biggest thing is just constantly getting better and staying positive because you never know what’s gonna happen.
Q: You declared for the NBA Draft recently, what are you most excited for with the draft process coming up?
A: Just getting better. Everybody’s dream is to play in the NBA. I don’t know what that looks like for me, I’m always gonna do my part and work on my game and see what happens. The biggest thing is just living my dream. Getting to work out for different NBA teams is something I’ve been wanting to do since I was three years old running around in diapers while playing on a mini hoop. So getting better every single day, staying ready, being confident and whenever an NBA team calls my name or calls me into workout then go in there and do what I have to do.
Wes Branch is a student in the undergraduate sports media program at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.