If you come to a Norwich basketball practice, the first person you’ll see on the court is junior Seth Thomsen. Stay to the end of that practice, and the last to leave is again, Thomsen. On an off day for Thomsen, he can usually be found toiling – for hours – on the basketball courts at the Norwich YMCA.

“I pretty much have to chase him out the gym every night after practice,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott of his consummate gym rat.

Thomsen is one of only two people in Abbott’s quarter century of coaching the NHS varsity to earn a spot on the team as a freshman. He was tabbed as a burgeoning talent, one who could become one of Norwich’s best players in many years. For two years, though, Thomsen came off the bench for the Tornado. He was a situational role player. At times Abbott would need him on the post, other times on the outside as a wing player. Thomsen did not have a defined role until this season.

“Prior to this year, we had Vaughn (Labor), David (Carson), and Richie (Bonney), who could bang inside,” Abbott said. “We don’t have that type of player this year.”

Enter Thomsen, all of 6-foot-2 and about 175 pounds – significantly smaller than Labor, Carson, and Bonney. Still, Thomsen is expected to defend the same way as his larger predecessors, and has proven up to the challenge. “It seems like the bigger the guy, the more Seth rises to the challenge,” Abbott said. “There is no way you can intimidate Seth. He doesn’t back down, and he doesn’t give in. He just goes out and competes.”