TOWSON, Md. – Seniors Alex Thomas and Jordan McNeil have limped and labored up and down the floor this season for the Towson University men's basketball team, giving everything they have, competing with heart while grimacing in pain with every uncomfortable movement.
 
Yet, neither player has complained. They have done what was needed for the team during their senior seasons. This will be an enduring legacy for Thomas and McNeil whenever their Towson basketball careers conclude.
 
They will earn their degrees in a few weeks and make a difference in the world. They have battled adversity and fought through injuries and surgeries to make an impact. For four years, Thomas and McNeil have made meaningful contributions, been great teammates, inspired others and helped the Tigers enjoy numerous shining moments.
 
"Jordan is going to go down as one of my all-time favorite guys," Towson head coach Pat Skerry said during a moving senior day video tribute. "Earlier in his career, he didn't play as much as he wanted to, but he became as good of a worker as we've had here and that's why he became a good player for us on both ends of the floor. He has gotten better every year and he's also very unselfish. He's been the type of guy who has sacrificed for the good of the team."
 
Sure, McNeil and Thomas have made some timely baskets, but their value has been more than scoring and contributions extend off the court and into the community. McNeil and Thomas have been excellent ambassadors for the Towson men's basketball program.
 
They have enjoyed memorable on-court moments this past season. McNeil made some late 3-pointers to help Towson beat UMBC in double overtime. It was the Tigers' sixth straight victory over UMBC. Thomas, playing through the pain of a torn labrum, sank the game-winning shot and grabbed a season best eight rebounds in a win over Delaware. Towson rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to win the game.
 
"Alex has been a great player for us and a great student-athlete," Skerry said. "He's also been a great ambassador on campus. It's been fun watching him grow not only as a basketball player, but as a person. He's a guy you know that's going to have great success beyond his academic and athletic years here at Towson. He has a super family and has impacted a lot of wins for us. He's as good a post defender that we've had here at Towson and he's taken great pride in that."
 
Thomas has earned his reputation as a solid defender and dependable shot blocker. He's seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in blocked shots this season. McNeil has played plenty of positions during his career for the Tigers. In addition to admirably playing the point guard position, McNeil also established a reputation as an assassin from 3-point distance.
 
During their careers, the pair helped Towson win 20 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. They have enjoyed three winning seasons, helped Towson advance to the CAA semifinals and compete in a postseason tournament. In addition, McNeil and Thomas were able to help the Tigers win the Florida Gulf Coast Showcase and Belfast Basketball Hall of Fame Classic as juniors.
 
While their senior season hasn't gone as planned from a record standpoint, they still have a chance to enjoy an awesome ending to their careers if Towson can capture the CAA Tournament presented by Jersey Mike's as a ninth seed. Towson opens with eighth-seeded James Madison Saturday at 4 p.m.