Recruiting: Matt Thomas names Finalists

Wisconsin native and 2013 Shooting Guard Matt Thomas has narrowed his list to two schools: Virginia and Iowa State. It has seemed for a while now that the Cavaliers and the Cyclones, along with the local option Wisconsin, were the top three choices for Thomas. Now, with the Badgers out of the picture, Thomas will choose to play for one of the two young, former NBA guards turned coaches, Fred Hoiberg or Tony Bennett.

Thomas, who is known for having a great stroke from beyond the arc, is a top priority for Tony Bennett and his staff. Virginia could really use a pure shooter, to go along with the other talented players they have acquired over the past few recruiting classes. Tony Bennett has taken the lead for UVA's recruiting effort of Thomas, showing how important the 6'4'' guard is to Bennett and the program.

Distance has been brought up as a potential factor for Thomas. Obviously, if distance was the number one factor in his recruitment, Thomas probably would not have eliminated Wisconsin. According to sources (Google Maps specifically), Thomas' hometown of Onalaska, Wisconsin is about a 4 hour drive from Ames, Iowa, and 18 hours from Charlottesville. The latter trip will almost certainly require a flight. Can Virginia overcome the distance factor? I think so. Hopefully, that isn't the pent ultimate deciding factor. If it was though, why would Virginia even be under consideration at this point?

Thomas would be a really nice get for the Cavaliers. ESPN has him rated as a 4-star prospect, number 84 overall in the country. Rivals lists Thomas as a 3-star, but still as a Top 150 player. The sharp-shooting guard has visited both schools at this point, and is expected to make his decision over the summer. Both of Thomas' finalists feature young, bright coaches at programs that seem to be on the upswing, so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.