MIDDLEBURY — Once it became clear before Tuesday night’s game in Pepin Gymnasium that injured Johnson & Wales senior guard Lamonte Thomas, the leading scorer in NCAA Division III men’s basketball, would not play against Middlebury College, the focus even more narrowed on the news the Panthers made earlier in the day.
That was when the most recent D-III poll came out, and Coach Jeff Brown’s group sat on top, ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history.