EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With two years of Missouri Valley Conference experience along with two seasons in the Evansville area, Antonio Thomas has officially joined the University of Evansville men's basketball program.
 
"We are extremely excited to officially welcome Antonio and his family to our UE family.  My staff and I wanted to prioritize adding an experienced guard to fill this scholarship spot," Purple Aces head coach David Ragland said.  "Tonio has been through the wars of college basketball.  He has been part of winning a championship in the Missouri Valley, it won't be his first time in the arenas and locker rooms of the MVC."
 
"Antoinio is a great young man with a very good work ethic.  He comes from a wonderful family and has grown up in a passionate basketball community in Memphis," Ragland continued.  "Tonio is focused on what's best for the team. He is a pass first point guard who is not afraid to hear his own voice.  He will help lead our group through his actions and words both on the court and in the classroom."
 
Thomas comes to Evansville from Kentucky Wesleyan where he spent two seasons with the Panthers.  He is coming off an excellent season that saw him record 9.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while making the start in all 29 games.  He shot 41.1% from outside and ranked second for KWC with 83 assists.
 
His first season with the Panthers saw him lead the way with 100 assists while starting each of the 28 contests.  Thomas recorded 7.3 points and 3.1 rebounds.
 
Prior to his time in Owensboro, Thomas spent two seasons playing at Bradley.  Highlighting his tenure with the Braves was winning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship in 2020 as a freshman.  Thomas started seven games in his first college season and registered a season-high 14 points in his first-ever start versus Toledo.
 
As a sophomore in 2020-21, Thomas made 22 appearances while averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 assists in 11.5 minutes of work.  He helped the Braves take down Drake in the regular-season finale as he totaled 11 points, four assists and two steals.
 
The Memphis, Tennessee native played at East High School where he helped them pick up their fourth-straight Tennessee Class AAA state championship appearance in 2019.  He also played at Ridgeway High School.