By Jon Gilbert

| Special to The Tribune

Liam Thomas knew he had a great task laid upon him when he was made the starting point guard for the Highland boys’ basketball team, the 2011 Class 4A champions.

With Thomas at the helm this season, Highland is back in the running for a state title and the senior has stepped out of Sam Orchard’s shadow and created his own legacy.

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At a glance

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Player of the Week: Joe Cremer, Judge Memorial boys’ basketball. While Judge has been led all season by Jacob Gondrezick and Alex Mancini, Cremer took his turn last week. He scored 14 points in a 55-45 win over Juan Diego Feb. 1 and then led Judge in scoring with 18 points on four 3-pointers in a 67-54 win over Union Feb. 3.

The Big Number: 15: Number of points the East boys’ basketball team lost to Woods Cross by Feb. 3. Back on Jan. 13, the same two teams met at East and the Leopards beat the Wildcats 64-46. But on Feb. 3, the Wildcats flipped the script in a surprising way. It’s just another example of Region 6’s depth.

The Big Game: Park City at Judge Memorial, boys’ basketball, Friday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will be looking to wrap up a Region 10 title. The Miners will be hoping to gain momentum and confidence heading into the 3A classification state tournament. They won’t both get what they want.

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But it wasn’t simple getting here. Last season, he was a role player who waited most of the season to become a starter and struggled with his outside shooting. He exuded extreme athleticism but lacked the ability to distribute properly. It took the right mindset and a willingness to work at getting better than the day before. It took humility to allow him to see what needed to be improved.

And, as Thomas’ teammates and coaches will say, it took Manson Kafi.

"First of all, you have to credit Mason Kafi," said junior forward Max Bradshaw. "He’s the best scout player in the state."

Despite limited playing time, Kafi has bought in to Highland’s aspirations and has played practices like they are his games. The result is improved play in the Rams’ guard rotation, including Thomas. Thomas is one of 4A’s leading scorers at 14.6 points per game. His quickness off the dribble is tested daily by Kafi. Kafi has chosen to step off Thomas in practice to force him to shoot, prompting Thomas to work on his shot. There’s no denying that Thomas’ success is linked to Kafi’s dedication.

"I think he has ‘Little Guy Syndrome,’ " Thomas laughed about his 5-foot-6 practice opponent. "He has so much heart and he just doesn’t want you to score on him. He could be a high-level starter on a lot of other teams."

To help his team and Thomas, Kafi tries to "tear our guys up" in practice, coach Keith West said. When the starters take the court in games, they’ve prepared to face the most premier defenders. Kafi understands that his practice contributions won’t go unrewarded — they were rewarded last season with a state championship. He hopes they are rewarded similarly in 2012.

"It’s more about what we do to succeed at the end," Kafi said. "That’s what I’m going to be proud of."