In good company

Marissa Coleman compiled a laundry list of accolades during her career with the Terrapin women's basketball team: two-time All-American, three-time All-ACC selection, ACC Rookie of the Year and national champion.

And when she graduated in 2009 and was drafted by the WNBA's Washington Mystics, her impact was officially recognized in the rafters of Comcast Center, where her jersey hangs alongside a select group of Terp greats.

In the long shadow of Coleman's jersey, freshman forward Alyssa Thomas has begun to forge her own path, one that also could lead up to the Comcast Center rafters. And despite the unique journey she has followed in surprisingly thrusting herself among the ACC's elite playmakers, the similarities between Thomas and her forebearers have been difficult to overlook.

Thomas is "one of the most versatile players we've had here," coach Brenda Frese said. "[She] obviously draws comparisons to Marissa Coleman."

Like Coleman, Thomas is long and fast. She has the rare ability to go up to the rim for a rebound and take the ball in transition on her own. She has the speed of a point guard and the strength of a post presence. And, perhaps most importantly, Thomas is always hungry.

The 6-foot-2 freshman's versatility and athleticism have already translated to the court, where she has established herself as one of the ACC's top players. Despite a three-point performance Sunday against NC State, a game in which she was limited to just seven minutes of play due to a back injury, Thomas still ranks No. 10 in the conference in scoring and No. 11 in rebounding.

What's perhaps been the most remarkable part of her freshman campaign is how her numbers have improved as the No. 12 Terps moved from a nonconference slate riddled with tune-ups to their demanding ACC schedule. In conference play, she leads the ACC with 9.7 rebounds per game and ranks No. 6 in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game.

"I shouldn't be surprised because of how competitive she is, but usually there's a learning curve," Frese said of Thomas' dominance in conference play. "I've never seen a freshman come in and put up bigger numbers in conference."

And Frese has had some good ones before. Coleman amassed a program-record five ACC Rookie of the Week honors as a freshman. Former forward Crystal Langhorne, who averaged 17.2 points per game as a newcomer, also earned the award five times.

With three weeks left in the regular season, Thomas stands a good chance at surpassing those legends and perhaps setting the conference mark currently held by Duke's Alana Beard. Thomas earned her fifth weekly honor last week, and she needs two more in the remaining three weeks to match Beard's total.

Yet Thomas, despite her toughness and swagger on the court, seemed shy and uncomfortable with being compared to Coleman.

"It's an honor," Thomas said sheepishly.

For Frese, Thomas' success has been a fitting reward for a relationship that began with a gamble. In summer 2008, Thomas, then a rising junior at Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg, Pa., was set to play in the Blue Chip Basketball Battle of Baltimore tournament. Frese was curious about Thomas, who hadn't quite broken onto the national recruiting scene but was making headlines elsewhere.

To see Thomas in Baltimore, though, Frese would have to pass up a chance to scout the upper crust of the nation's high-school players representing USA Basketball in Spain.

She chose the less glamorous of the tournaments, and Thomas didn't disappoint.

"She walked in, and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. This kid is ridiculous,'" Frese recalled.

Thomas, whose younger brother Devin is receiving similar interest from Division I basketball programs, verbally committed to the Terps the following fall.

Two and a half years later, Thomas has arrived in College Park in a big way, leading the Terps in scoring and trailing only center Lynetta Kizer in rebounding.

"Coach B came to me and told me I have to get comfortable quick, because they were looking for me to do a lot this year," Thomas said.

On a team whose length creates obvious problems for opponents — the Terps regularly trot out a starting five of Thomas, Kizer, forwards Diandra Tchatchouang and Tianna Hawkins and lone guard Anjale Barrett — Frese describes Thomas as a "matchup nightmare."

Wake Forest coach Mike Petersen lived that nightmare Jan. 28, when Thomas fought through occasional double- and even triple-teams to shred the Demon Deacons for 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-44 Terp victory.

"You don't have to set a screen to get her a mismatch," Petersen said. "Who are you going to guard her with? You're going to really put your [shooting guard] on Alyssa Thomas? Now that's a problem."

Despite her success, though, Thomas has remained humble and hungry.

When asked if she imagined such success as a freshman, Thomas shook her head.

"Not at all," she said, "Not even a little bit."

Her competitive fire hasn't dwindled, either. Frese noted a recent practice during which a teammate tricked Thomas by bouncing an inbounds pass off her back and scoring an easy bucket. Frese laughed as she recalled Thomas' surprising show of emotion.

"She was furious," Frese said.

But with Thomas' passion comes a softer side, one reminiscent of Coleman's own off-the-court demeanor.

"They both have silly sides to them. Alyssa's kind of a prankster … very much like Marissa," Frese said. "They loved college, loved their experience of being with the team every single day."

With more than three seasons left for Thomas to enjoy her college experience, speculation about whether she can live up to the comparison to Coleman will only linger.