team was establishing itself as bullies of the Big East Conference. Thorpe’ s favorite player was Carl Krauser, a point guard known for his fearless, physical playing style.
Thorpe— whose father, Geno Sr., played at the collegiate level in the late 1970s— was a quick study on the court. He scored 17.5 points per game as a sophomore, propelling the Titans to a 22 and 2 record. His scoring prowess only improved from there: Thorpe averaged 21.5 ppg as a junior, and then led the WPIAL with 26.3 ppg as a senior. He was a two-time All-State selection.
“ My Shaler coaches did a lot for me— they helped me become the player I am now,” Thorpe says.“ They put the ball in my hands and they trusted me to make decisions. So did my teammates. We were good that way and we were successful.”
According to Paul Holzshu, Shaler’ s athletic director from 2003 through 2015 who also coached the boys’ varsity basketball team from 2008 through 2013, Thorpe’ s playing style was very athletic, fast-paced, and opportunistic.“ During Geno’ s senior year, he scored 45 points versus McKeesport. In my 40-plus years of coaching, it was one of the most dominant performances I’ ve ever witnessed,” says Holzshu.“ Geno’ s time at Shaler gave him a chance to grow as a student, basketball player, and, most importantly, as a person.”
In addition to his exploits at Shaler, Thorpe impressed scouts and coaches while playing for the King James All-Stars, a prestigious travel team that plays against national competition in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. Colleges quickly came calling. Thorpe had scholarship offers from Seton Hall, Kansas State, Rutgers and the University of Pittsburgh, among other schools, including his eventual choice: Penn State.
“ I really liked the campus and the education,” he says.“ I had an uncle who went to Penn State, so that played a little part in it. It was close to home. After I visited, it was an easy decision to go there.”
Thorpe played sparingly as a freshman, but showed lots of promise as a sophomore. He played in all 34 games, and started 17 of them, while averaging 8.7 points per contest. He was the team’ s best free-throw shooter and ranked second on the Nittany Lions in steals. Thorpe dropped a career-high 19 points on the Duquesne Dukes in December of 2014.
Scoring outburst aside, Thorpe developed into a more well-rounded player at PSU.“ In high school, I wasn’ t really a defender— I was a scorer,” he explains.“ When I got to college, my head coach [ Pat Chambers ] told me I couldn’ t get on the floor unless I played defense. He told me that I could be a good defender and if I went as hard as I can, I could be great.”
After his sophomore year, Thorpe looked for a different school team that might provide an opportunity for more playing time. He decided to transfer to the University of South Florida. Due to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, Thorpe had to sit out a year before being eligible to play. He could practice with his new teammates on the Bulls, but game action would have to wait.
“ It was hard,” he recalls.“ It was the first time I went without playing basketball— no referees, no nothing. My games were practice. It was weird because I never went a year without putting on a jersey and playing. I just had to get used to that at first.”
While Thorpe couldn’ t play right away, he acclimated quickly to life in South Florida. He bonded with teammates during marathon“ Call of Duty” video game sessions, and looked forward to“ movie grill nights” featuring plenty of comedies and chicken wings. Thorpe stormed the court at the USF Sun Dome when the Bulls defeated the Memphis Tigers in February of 2016— a high note during an otherwise challenging season( USF finished with an 8 and 25 record).
The 2016-2017 season has also been a trying one for South Florida: a 7-23 record and the head coach, Orlando Antigua( a former Pitt player and assistant who helped recruit Thorpe to South Florida), was fired. Thorpe has persevered, however. He ranks second on the Bulls with 15.1 points per game, while leading the club in assists( 4.4 per game) and steals( 1.6).
With a strong senior campaign, Thorpe could get on the radar of National Basketball Association teams or position himself to play professionally overseas. He’ s not getting ahead of himself, though.
“ I want to be a professional in this game, but I also want to get my degree,” he says.“ Wherever this journey takes me, I’ m OK with it.”
No matter where Thorpe ends up, his heart’ s in Shaler.“ Go Titans,” he says.“ Shaler basketball for life!” ■
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