Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is building quite the recruiting class for Aggie hoops in College Station, a class he strengthened on Tuesday afternoon with a commit from Elijah Thomas, yet another four-star recruit.
Thomas joins D.J. Hogg and Tyler Davis from Plano, Texas, as well as Admon Gilder out of Dallas as members of the 2015 class.
A power forward capable of playing center, Thomas stands at 6-foot-9, 240 pounds and plans to be part of a strong presence in the paint for A&M in 2015. He ranks in the top 30 players nationally and as high as second in the state of Texas.
Thomas had expressed interest in playing with Gilder, who committed to Kennedy and A&M last week.
Gilder, a shooting guard, is a top-100 player in the nation and is also considered a top-10 player in state.
Plano players Davis and Hogg round out the class as it stands. Top-40 in the nation and top-5 in state, the 6-foot-9, 269-pound Davis and 6-foot-8, 217-pound Hogg bring much-needed size and strength to Reed Arena.
The duo will soon join freshman point guard Avery Johnson, also out of Plano, as they lead the team back towards the promised land of March Madness.
This year, the Aggies are considered by many to be a fringe NCAA tournament contender and are expected to make noise in the Southeastern Conference.
Four starters return from last year’s roster, juniors Alex Caruso and Antwan Space as well as seniors Jordan Green and Kourtney Roberson. Also joining the team is Jamal Jones, who transferred from SMU and was granted eligibility to play immediately by the NCAA.
Thanks to the current recruiting success, 2015 looks promising to make the jump back to March Madness should the team fall short this year.
Many of the nation’s top prospects have yet to commit, but it is highly likely A&M will finish the year inside the top 10.
Fans will have the opportunity to see the team in action for the first time this year at 8 p.m. Friday as they host the Maroon and White Game at Reed Arena.