Thomas Terrell's No. 5 jersey was officially hung from the rafters of the Sports Arena with a special pre-game ceremony before the Jan. 3 basketball game.
Now a professional basketball star in Spain, Terrell flew to Atlanta for the Panthers family to be able to salute his All-America basketball accomplishments in a fitting tribute.
“This is a great place with a lot of great people,” Terrell said before the ceremony. “I really enjoyed my time at the school because of the way the people treated me. My college days will always be a great memory for me.”
Terrell was a winner at Georgia State as he was a star on the 29-5 NCAA Final 32 team of 2001 and the 20-11 NIT postseason team of 2002. That gave him a stellar 49-16 (75%) two-year record under Coach “Lefty” Driesell. The 6-7 forward set the school record for most points scored in a season when he produced 635 (20.5 per game) to lead the conference and rank No. 27 in the nation. He also set the school record for most three-point baskets in a season (94) to rank No. 28 in the nation.
“To have the banner hanging with my number really means a lot to me,” he reflected. “This is quite an accomplishment that I never expected when I first came here in 2000.”
How does he want fans to remember him? “I think they know that I did the best I could every time I put on the uniform,” he said. “I had great teammates and coaches and we worked hard to win as much as we could. I always wanted to be part of a team that won and to do my part however I could.”
Terrell certainly showed that determination on the court. He never missed a game in his two years and was in the Top 10 in the nation as an “Iron Man” in minutes played as a senior who played 38.1 of the possible 40 minutes a game.
“I remember the conference tournaments and winning the one here on this court, plus the trip to the NCAA Tournament in Boise,” he noted. “And I remember the 42-point game I had down at Jacksonville.” Terrell hit nine three-point baskets that night to tie that school record for a game, which was even more excellent considering he only took 12 three-point shots.
Terrell made a special effort to come back from Spain during his basketball season. He lives in Barcelona and has been a two-time league most valuable player as a six-figure star of that European League where he led that league in scoring (22.9 and 19.2). He had knee surgery earlier this fall and is just returning to the line-up.
“I feel good and can do a lot more now after this surgery and working through the rehab to improve my conditioning,” he added. “I still hope to get a chance to play in the NBA even though this experience at this level is great. I think I am still improving,” he modestly added.
At Georgia State, Terrell led the team both years in rebounding as well as using his scoring prowess. He was part of a team that won 25 consecutive home games for the Georgia State fans. His final two-year totals included 1,193 points and 177 three-point baskets (second most in school history).
In the classroom, Thomas came back in the summers to finish his classes and graduate with his degree in sociology. “I am proud of that as well and appreciate all the support the folks at Georgia State gave me to finish what I started.”
Terrell was accompanied on the court for the retirement ceremony by his wife, Zakiayyah and his sons Jamonne and Thomas (Trey).
His jersey No. 5 is just the third one to hang from the rafters of the Sports Arena, joining guards Kevin Morris (No. 13) and Rodney Hamilton (No. 3). Morris was on hand to congratulate Terrell, his teammate on the 2001 team.
