7. Jahad Thomas
UMass Lowell’s initial seasons at the D1 level weren’t full of memorable moments but Thomas provided plenty of his own. A 6’2 wing from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, he made the trek to Lowell in 2014 and spent his entire four-year career with the River Hawks. He established himself as the program’s best offensive player of the last decade.
Starting all but two of the 109 games he played in his career, Thomas got his career started in style, averaging 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, numbers he would build on in later years. He was among the America East’s leaders in rebounding, field goal percentage, and scoring in all four of his collegiate seasons, averaging 21.1 points a game as a senior. That senior year also featured a heroic 40-point outburst in a road win against New Hampshire.
Thomas was the rare player to earn All-America East honors in each of his four collegiate seasons, including First Team nominations as both a junior and senior. He ended his career with over 1800 career points and nearly 900 rebounds, establishing himself as the River Hawks’ premier player since joining the D1 level. While the program was just 44-73 during those four years, Thomas was an invaluable piece and just needed more talent around him.