Steve Fisher on Xavier Thames

From Reid Forgrave's article on San Diego State basketball:

And the difference this season could be Thames. In virtually the same minutes as in an injury-affected last season, Thames has nearly doubled his scoring average and is shooting at a far more efficient rate. An experienced, talented point guard in March might be the most valuable commodity in college hoops.

"€œXavier Thames is exponentially better than when he walked in the door as a transfer from Washington State,"€ Fisher said. "€œHe has made himself better. When X was a sophomore, he had a knee injury that impacted his conference season. Last year on New Year'€™s Eve, he hurt his back, and it affected everything he did the rest of the season. He was never healthy.

"€œHis success has grown his confidence. He’s doing things now with confidence, things that he was unsure he could do even when he was healthy. His playing well in games against good people have made him think, '€˜I can do this against anybody.'"™