Thomas leads UW’s recruiting class

SEATTLE – Four players who have shown loyalty to Washington basketball coach Lorenzo Romar committed to the Huskies’ program Wednesday.

This is the early signing period for national letters of intent and the Huskies brought in a class that most rating services rank among the top 20 in the country.

The local standout in the quartet is former Curtis (Tacoma) High star Isaiah Thomas, a 5-foot-8 guard. He has attended prep school in Connecticut the last two years.

The other three are: 6-6 guard Scott Suggs of Washington High in Augusta, Mo.; 6-6, 260-pound forward Tyreese Breshers of Los Angeles’ Price High School; and 6-4 guard Elston Turner Jr., of Elkins High in Missouri City, Texas.

“We think these four as a group are special,” Romar said. “I think what they all possess is a pretty cerebral feel for the game. They all know how to play basketball. There are things they all have to learn at this level, but they come in with a pretty good understanding of the game.

“They also can all score.”

Thomas is a prolific scorer. He averaged 31.2 points per game in his final season at Curtis. He holds nine state tournament records, including most points in a game (51), tournament (162) and scoring average (40.5).

Thomas committed to UW last year but couldn’t qualify, so he transferred to South Kent. Thomas averaged 29 points and was the league’s MVP last year, attracting attention from major East Coast programs. But he remained faithful to Romar.

“I looked at it as a test. We knew they’d come after him when they saw him out there,” Romar said. “The bottom line is he knew he needed to make some changes with himself. No. 1 was academically. He was either going to cut the mustard or he wasn’t. So far he’s done that, he’s cut the mustard.”

Turner, who played in Roseville, Calif., has the bloodlines as his father Elston Turner played for three NBA teams. The elder Turner knew Romar from his time in the NBA and, subsequently, Romar developed a relationship with his son.