VINCENNES, Ind. – Honors and recognitions came in big time for the 2024 Region 24 and Central District Champion Vincennes University men’s basketball team, with VU sophomores Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Kris King (Washington, D.C.) and freshman Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) earning All-Region 24 honors.
The first Trailblazer recognized was VU leading scorer Lebron Thomas, who led the Trailblazers by averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Thomas got off to a great start to the season with 20 points, nine assist and seven rebounds in the Trailblazers win over Monroe College in November.
Thomas’s best game of the season came in a win over Olney Central, when Thomas recorded his only double-double of the season with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds.
Thomas has scored in double figures in 27 of VU’s 33 games this season, while also leading the Trailblazers in three-point makes and free throws made this season.
“It means a lot to me,” Thomas said. “After not playing last year and earning this was just one step closer to what I have been working on.”
“My favorite memory at VU was probably when we went to Moberly in Missouri and got to practice at Mizzou,” Thomas added. “Stuff like that was a really cool experience for me.”
“My experience at Vincennes University has been different than what I thought completely,” Thomas said. “From the coaching, I didn’t really expect a lot of things we do, like the way we pass the ball and getting in rhythm of a shot or even what we wear on and off the court. But I am grateful for it and the position I am in to be a part of it.”
The next Trailblazer honored was 2024 Region 24 tournament MVP and now two-time All-Region 24 honoree Michael Osei-Bonsu, who nearly averaged a double-double this season with 12.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Osei-Bonsu is currently third in the Nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 4.6 offensive rebounds per game this season.
Osei-Bonsu has scored in double figures 21 times this season, with 11 times coming in double-doubles.
Osei-Bonsu’s best game this season came in the Region 24 Semi-finals when Michael set a career high with 33 points and 15 rebounds in VU’s win over John A. Logan College.
