LANSING — Kingston Thomas wasn’t satisfied with the way he opened his junior season for the East Lansing basketball team in a weekend victory over Flint Hamady.
So the 6-foot-5 guard turned the page and was ready to make the most of his next opportunity.
Thomas did that, playing a big role as the Trojans moved to 2-0 with their 73-58 victory over Sexton on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Don Johnson Fieldhouse.
Thomas had a season-high 23 points as East Lansing built a double-digit lead and then held off a fourth-quarter push as Sexton pulled within seven late.
“I came out here and I knew I had to show out and show what I can really do,” Thomas said. “I have all the tools, but I just have to put them to use.”
Those tools have always been evident as Thomas has had big moments in the past for the Trojans, which included in the state semifinals and finals in March. The reigning Division 1 state champions expect to see those skills on a regular basis this winter as Thomas steps into a more prominent role with his cousin, Cam Hutson, now graduated and playing at Saint Louis and other key contributors also gone.
“Kingston is doing what he’s supposed to do,” East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell said. “He’s a junior now, he’s stepping up. He’s seen everybody before him do what they did so it’s natural and it’s easy for him. We expect him to be big time, all-state player and one of the better juniors in the state, got an MSU offer. He’s going to step up. That’s how it goes in a good program, it’s next guy up, next man up. He’s next up.”
Thomas said getting that scholarship offer from Michigan State in the offseason has added extra motivation for him because of the target it put on him.
“A lot of players in the state are now coming for me because it’s like, oh, he has an MSU (offer), I need to play better than him to try to take his MSU (offer),” Thomas said. “It definitely gave me more of a drive to let every person who is coming up to check with me know that they cannot mess with me at the end of the day.”
East Lansing will lean on Thomas and Bowling Green signee KJ Torbert to lead the charge this winter as it chases a second straight state title. The two sons of former MSU players, David Thomas and Kelvin Torbert, were a strong one-two punch in the victory over Sexton (0-1).
Thomas and Torbert, who finished with a game-high 27 points, combined for 15 points in the opening quarter to get the Trojans off to a 17-8 advantage that it built on throughout.
Markese Murray had 18 points and Keyshawn Summerville finished with 16 points to lead Sexton in its season opener.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway and Bluesky @briancalloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Kingston Thomas ready to put tools to use for East Lansing boys basketball
Reporting by Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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