TaShawn Thomas has been a favorite of the tempo free community ever since the 6-foot-8 forward stepped onto the Conference USA (and now American Athletic Conference) campus. Even though many have lauded the efforts of Thomas, a big who, in his two seasons as a Cougar, converted more than 55 percent of his twos, posted an offensive rating above 110 in consecutive years, and is a defensive force capable of snatching down additional possessions from opponents' grasps as well as sending shots back into their faces, he still seems underrated nationally, which could be due for a change when Houston travels to Brooklyn for the Legends Classic.

Houston is paired with Stanford for their initial match, and while we have written about Stanford earlier, labeling the Pac-12 squad as a sleeper not only in the conference but nationally, Thomas will be crucial for the Cougars if they hope to defeat the Cardinal and earn a much-needed non-conference win. ESPN's Jason King identified Thomas as a player to watch during the tournament, and King predicts Thomas could be due for an even stronger performance this season thanks to a stronger supporting cast. One interesting facet of Thomas' game is his ability to haul in offensive rebounds; his rate was ranked within the nation's top 50 as a freshman, per Ken Pomeroy, but the percentage dropped significantly as a sophomore. Because Thomas' offensive role increased -- his percentage of shots attempted skyrocketed to 27.3 percent -- he wasn't able to crash the glass as effectively as he had in his inaugural season, but because Houston needed low-post scoring, Thomas was carrying an offensive burden. Danuel House has spent the offseason improving his perimeter game, the squad is still waiting to see if L.J. Rose will be eligible in 2013-14, and Danrad 'Chicken' Knowles will finally take the court, so we have to believe while Thomas' attempts will decrease -- the big took more than 400 two-point field goals last year -- he could further his transformation into one of the nation's best rebounders.