Hailing from Elk Grove, Calif., freshman guard Xavier Thames has had quite the change of scenery as he is now three weeks underway in his second semester at WSU.

Thames, who comes off the bench but is a major contributor for the Cougars, said his crimson experience could not be better, and he is enjoying his time thus far in the Northwest.

“It’s been great, it hasn’t been too cold, so I’m glad about that,” Thames said with a smile. “First semester was good, and second semester is going good so far. I’m just trying to have fun here in Pullman.” Coming out of Pleasant Grove High School, Thames was one of the most touted guards on the west coast. According to Cougfan.com, Thames was the 25th-ranked point guard in the land and had offers from WSU, San Diego State, UNLV, and Iowa State. Thames said he also received plenty of attention from UCLA, Arizona, Oregon State and the University of Florida.

Being a California native, Thames said he could have stayed close to home and signed with San Diego State, but it was the Pullman environment that sealed his decision.

“I came here because it’s a small town. And at San Diego State, I felt it was more of a party school with a lot of things to do, and I really didn’t like that too much,” Thames said. “That’s why I came here to Pullman because it feels like a small town where everybody knows everybody, and that was key in my choice.” Thames said growing up in California was a great experience because of the nice weather and seeing something new every day. Although he went from a big city to a small town, he said he is adjusting just fine.

“In Sacramento, it’s a real big city, so I had to adjust here to Pullman, but I like the small-town community,” Thames said. “Everybody’s nice, and I love it here so far.” During his senior campaign at Pleasant Grove, Thames averaged more than 20 points per game and nearly four assists.

He said the style of play he faced playing in California was top tier, and it definitely played a monumental role in getting him ready for the transition to college hoops.

“It was very competitive. Our league was one of the most competitive ones in the Sacramento area,” Thames said. “It helped me a lot getting ready for guard play because our league is very tough.” In WSU’s 92-64 defeat at the hands of the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Thames had his best game as a Cougar by scoring a career-high 15 points off 6-8 shooting to lead the team.

Thames sparked the Cougar offense on Saturday and said he is going to continue to improve as the season goes on.

“I’m continuing to work on my shot,” Thames said. “I’m in the gym every day, and I just want to come out and be aggressive from now in the second half of the Pac-10 season.” As the Cougars look toward the future, Thames will figure to play a big role in the team’s offense alongside fellow freshman guard Reggie Moore. Thames said along with the sophomore class, Cougar nation has plenty to be thrilled about as the young team gains more experience.

“(Cougar fans) should be really excited,” Thames said. “We’re a very young team, we also have Brock Motum in our freshman class, and we are going to have some good things in the future so it’s going to be really exciting.”