'A Thomas is going to win the game': UA-UNLV tournament game will be a sister act

Editor's note: This story appears in the Star's NCAA Tournament preview section, which you can read in its entirety by clicking here.

Shane Thomas is still trying to process it all.

After all, the idea that two of his older sisters would play each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament is almost unbelievable.

Yet here they are. Fourth-seeded Arizona will host No. 13 UNLV on Saturday night in a sisterly showdown. The Wildcats are led by senior forward Sam Thomas. The Rebels feature Jade Thomas, a sophomore guard.

If the family’s training sessions are any indication, Sam — who is older and taller — should prevail.

“Sam likes to post people up because she is the tallest and the biggest sister,” said Bailey Thomas, the girls’ older sister, who was a senior at UNLV last season.

Then again …

“I think people overlook Jade a bit,” Bailey Thomas added. “She’s really good.”

Saturday’s game will mark the first time one Thomas sibling has played the other in a game. All three Thomas girls — Bailey, Sam and Jade — either have played or are currently playing college ball. Younger brother Shane is a 6-foot-4-inch sophomore at Las Vegas’ Durango High School. Together, they’ve played more than 2,000 games over the years.

The Thomases seem to be taking the matchup in stride. The family text thread has been filled with trash talk since Sunday evening, when the first-round matchup in McKale Center was announced.

Jade Thomas pressed Sam for the names of Arizona’s plays. Asking for a friend, she said. Sam wasn’t falling for it. Even UA coach Adia Barnes told her not to give away any secrets this week.

“I know when they call captains up and they’re both in the circle, they’re going to mess with each other,” Bailey Thomas said. “There’s a lot going on already. We get secrets from each other, (but) they are not going to tell each other because they both want to beat the other team.”

Derek Thomas, the family patriarch, said he’s “trying to figure out” how to handle his emotions on Saturday.

“A Thomas is going to win the game. So that’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s just, you know, on the other end one is going to lose, too. We’ll get together afterward and talk about it. Try to enjoy each other and appreciate the accomplishment of both. I don’t think there are too many people walking around and can say that.”

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Neither younger brother Shane or oldest sister Bailey would pick a winner. Instead, they’ll wear half-Arizona, half-UNLV T-shirts — just like the ones Sam and Jade Thomas bought their parents for Christmas.

“I just tell myself I’m rooting for my sisters and I just hope that they both do well,” said Bailey Thomas. “We’re so torn. It’s like, do we cheer for everything? Or do we just cheer for nothing? We’re so torn on what to do. I think there’s something there (for UNLV) because I actually poured my blood, sweat and tears into that program, but just trying to stay neutral. I’m here for both sisters.”

Jade Thomas is a 5-foot-10-inch guard with long arms just like her sister, Sam. Last season she made the Mountain West’s All-Freshman team and averaged 35.7 minutes per game. She’s been limited to 19 games this season because of an injury.

Jade Thomas “shoots the ball really well,” Bailey Thomas said. “I think she’s the guard that does the other extra stuff. She’s going to rebound super hard. I think that’s one of the main components of her game is that she’s a rebounding guard. She’s going to score … gonna get the assists, but I think that’s one of the big things she prides on is getting those rebounds.”

Shane Thomas called Jade “the leader. She’s going to make sure everyone’s in the right spot. She’s going to bring that energy. She’s going to shoot the ball. She’s going to defend. She’s going to rebound. That’s just Jade; that’s everything she’s going to do.”

If that sounds a little familiar to Arizona fans, it should.

Sam Thomas has been Arizona’s emotional leader throughout her college career. She has shined as a defensive specialist and 3-point shooter.

This season, Sam Thomas earned a spot on the Pac-12’s All-Conference and All-Defense teams, won the Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup and was named First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District for District 8. She is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award.

Sam is the “Swiss Army knife,” said Shane, her little brother. “She does a little bit of everything, is an impact player.”

Sam Thomas said she learned her game from Bailey, who still might be the only sibling who can beat her. The Arizona star wouldn’t be the player she is today — one of the best defenders in the country and one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the Pac-12 — if it wasn’t for her older sister pushing her every single day. She certainly wouldn’t have the competitiveness, tenacity and willingness to take on the best her opponents have to offer.

Jade Thomas feels the exact same way about Sam. Jade picked up valuable tips from over the years, including how to use her length on defense.

So who is going to come out on top Saturday — Arizona or UNLV? Sam or Jade?

“If Sam guards Jade, Jade knows that Sam is laughable and funny, so she’s going to try to get in her head,” Bailey Thomas said. “Sam is pretty mentally tough, but I think she has a soft spot for Jade. … I’d say just keep an eye on the little things. Whenever they pass each other or anything someone’s going to say something or give the other one a little nudge. Just look out for that.”