Aurora Central High School Larry Thomas on Thursday March 02, 2017 at Smoky Hill High School. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
The only returning player with any real varsity experience for the Aurora Central boys basketball team in the 2016-17 season, senior Larry Thomas boosted his scoring average by a whopping 12 points from the previous season. He will play for Team East in the second A-Town All-Star Boys Game, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on March 18, 2017, at Cherokee Trail High School. (Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel)

AURORA | A profile look at Aurora Central senior Larry Thomas, who is set to play for Team East in the second A-Town All-Star Boys Game set for March 18, 2017, at Cherokee Trail High School. The boys game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. or immediately following the girls game that begins at 3 p.m. (buy tickets in advance online: bit.ly/ATOWN2017):

Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel

Boys A-Town All-Star Game returns after strong debut

LARRY THOMAS

School: Aurora Central High School

Year: Senior

Height: 6-foot

2016-17 averages: 16.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal per game

Aurora Central High School Larry Thomas on Thursday March 02, 2017 at Smoky Hill High School. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Aurora Central senior Larry Thomas. (Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel)

Season highlights: With a new coach on the bench for the first time in nearly a decade, things were definitely going to look different for the Aurora Central boys basketball team during the 2016-17 season. And different they were, as coach Rob Harrison’s group managed a single win after the program won 18 games the previous year. The Trojans battled to be sure, but with an almost completely new group of faces on the varsity, inexperience came through in key moments and led to quite a few frustrating losses. The lone returning player with significant varsity experience was senior guard Larry Thomas, a four-year varsity player whose game blossomed as he took on a more central role after playing a supporting role to last season’s senior-heavy group. Thomas shot sparingly as a junior and averaged just 4.6 points per game, but he exploded offensively as a senior, scoring at a 16.2 points-per-game clip. He also upped his numbers in rebounds (3.3 rpg), assists (1.8 apg) and steals (1.0 spg) on his way to All-EMAC second team honors. Thomas — whose brother LD played in the A-Town All-Star Game last season — will play on Team East in the second A-Town All-Star Boys Game.

Thomas vs. Aurora teams: vs. Vista PEAK (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals); vs. Rangeview (7 points, 2 assists); vs. Gateway (28 points, 3 assists); vs. Hinkley (29 points, 5 rebounds)

Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor and photographer with Sentinel Colorado. A Denver East High School and University of Colorado alum. He came to the Sentinel in 2001 and since then has received a number...