Ancilla College freshman Jakylen Thomas earned a National Junior College Athletic Association Division II First Team All-American honor this week. The 5-8 freshman was the only freshman to earn first team honors.
Thomas is from Marion, Ind. and prepped at Marion High School. He averaged 18.6 points a game in 16 games this season, primarily coming off the bench. He went down with an ankle injury in the NJCAA DII Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game with two minutes left in regulation. Ancilla lost in overtime.
"JK was a bulldog this season," said Ancilla men's basketball coach Brian Pearison. "He could score from three-point range or take the ball to the basket. He scored a lot of his points at the free throw line due to his aggressive play."
Thomas had a career-high 41 points against Macomb Community College. He was perfect from the free throw line in six games this season.
He also received the Michigan Community College Athletic Association West Player of the Year award; Freshman of the Year award; MCCAA First Team; All-Region 12 and All-Freshman Team.
Ancilla finished the year at 14-3 and received an at-large bid to the NJCAA national tournament where they went 1-2. This was the Chargers second trip to the tournament, they finished 8th three years ago.
