This past summer the Oswego State men’s basketball team added a lone freshman in the form of Josh Thigpen to their squad as they try to replicate the success of last season.

Originally from Westchester, Thigpen attended Hastings High School and played on the varsity basketball team for all four years. Despite playing since he was seven years old, basketball was not his first love, instead the sport that first infatuated him was soccer. As a freshman with the Yellowjackets, he came off the bench, primarily filling the sixth-man role where he excelled. His next year as a sophomore, he helped secure the school’s first section title since 1999 with their sectional championship win over Valhalla in 2020 and also secured himself a Section MVP award in the process.

The accolades continued to come in for Thigpen as throughout the rest of his high school career he broke record for most points in a game with 47 and surpassed the coveted 1,000 point mark for a four-year career. In regards to his first year at Oswego State he is yet to decide on a major but is eyeing up the business program. Academics on top of the state and competitiveness of the basketball team, created the perfect storm for Thigpen.

“Along with other schools I was looking at, the team is phenomenal here,” he said. “I wanted to go to a place where I can compete with the best at the level I’m at, so this seemed like the perfect school out of all of [the schools I applied to].”

Without singling anyone out, Thigpen also mentioned that his teammates have been a great source in getting acclimated to life as a Laker. According to him, their influence does not stop after they leave the court either.

“All of [my teammates] really have taken me under their wing, basketball wise and outside as well,” Thigpen said. “I’m cool with all of them, they’re great teammates and they made the transition a lot easier.”

Head coach of the Lakers men’s basketball team, Jason Leone, has also helped in the transition process according to Thigpen.

“[Leone] is very comfortable talking to us about anything,” he said. “He always lets us know that, so he’s been a big part of that too.”

At the moment Thigpen is not worried about the role he may have on the team as he waits to find out what that will be. Currently, he is focused on fighting for minutes and earning his time on the court.

“I’m still waiting to see,” Thigpen said. “At the very least in practice, competing as hard as I can, always playing hard to earn time and pushing myself to get better for the years to come and as the season goes on.”

Despite his persistence to fight for game time, Thigpen knows that he will need to transition from the level of the high school game to the collegiate level first. 

“I think as the season goes on, seeing myself improve as a player and adjusting to college basketball because it’s a lot different than high school basketball,” he said.

Thigpen and the rest of the Oswego State men’s basketball team will tip off their season as the fifth ranked team in the nation according to D3hoops.com. Their first game is on Nov. 11 against the Hobart College Statesmen in Windham, Connecticut for the Eastern Connecticut State Tip-Off Tournament.

Photo provided by: Frank Becerra Jr. (The Journal News)