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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is technically an unproven rookie with hardly a week of training camp under his belt.Could have fooled his teammates, and even coach Sean Payton.You wouldnt know he was a first-year player if you just came to practice, Payton said. You would just think hes one of the receivers out here making a lot of plays.Payton used the word amazing, to describe one play made by his sure-handed, second-round pick. And that was only the first of two one-handed catches, in tight coverage, of long touchdown passes down the left sideline.To make both plays, Thomas had to extend and contort his body to the point of crashing to the turf. Yet he found a way to corral the ball each time, drawing roars of approval from not just spectators, but other players on the field.When Thomas has been able to stay on his feet after a catch, he has demonstrated the ability to pick up considerable yards after the catch, once using a sudden jump-step to avoid a defender before sprinting toward the sideline and turning the corner.He has been encouraging when you see him in traffic. Hes got really good hands away from his body. So, hes not someone that lets the ball get in on his chest, Payton said. That will give him a chance to have a little bit more run-after-the-catch ability.Thomas made yet another tough grab during Wednesdays 11-on-11 drills, when he reached up to snag a slant pass that second-string quarterback Luke McCown zipped between quickly closing defensive backs Keenan Lewis and Jamal Golden.Both defenders met Thomas as the pass arrived, trying to rip the ball away as they made the tackle. They were unable to dislodge the ball from Thomas grip.I love that kid. He has a nose for the football, said McCown, a 13th-year veteran who has lined up with Thomas several times in the first handful of camp practices.Hes got this kind of -- golly -- just this want to get the ball no matter where its at, McCown said.Thats what you want in a receiver -- a guy that just wants the ball to be in his ZIP code, and hes going to find a way to come down with it, whether theres somebody hanging on him or not.The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Thomas was drafted 47th overall. He had solid, but not necessarily extraordinary statistics at Ohio State last season, catching 56 passes for 781 yards and nine touchdowns.But the Saints were less concerned with Thomas stats than his particular skills.At the very least, his height and sure hands made him a good candidate to help fill the void created by the departure of Saints all-time leading receiver Marques Colston, who was released last winter, following his 10th season.Already, Thomas is getting a number of snaps with starting quarterback Drew Brees, who hasnt hesitated to throw the rookies way and has praised how quickly he learns.Thomas also has a former star NFL receiver in the family -- his uncle, Keyshawn Johnson. Thomas is not as flamboyant as his uncle. He is more soft-spoken and emphasizes humility, even as he projects confidence.After a recent practice, Thomas could be seen doing extra sprints; he was punishing himself for a false start in full team drills.That was my idea. I let the team down, I feel like, by moving too early, Thomas said. I can cost the team by doing that, so do something to correct it. Stay humble.Still, Thomas said he and his uncle talk, all the time, and that Johnson has been an important resource, teaching him how to hone his receiving skills and develop into an all-around pro.Thomas eagerness to explore ways to improve led him to strengthen his hands with yoga-type exercises.Brandin Cooks, who was New Orleans leading receiver last season, said he recalled hearing about Thomas affinity for hand yoga in the offseason, but forgot all about that until he saw the first of Thomas spectacular one-handed catches in training camp.Im like, `Maybe theres something to it, Cooks said. He has great hands.Whether Thomas turns out to be as productive as his famous uncle remains to be seen, but his acrobatic catches in camp have heightened expectations.Theyre probably going to expect that from me, so Im probably going to get another opportunity to make that (type of) play, so be ready when it presents itself, Thomas said. Its a momentum game. So if I can start that fire (with a big play), Id like to be that person.Game notesCB Keenan Lewis, who began training camp on the Saints physically-unable-to-perform list, took part in his first practice on Wednesday. ... DT Nick Fairley and S Erik Harris, who both left practice with undisclosed injuries on Saturday, returned on Wednesday. ... Payton said the Saints have signed S Jamal Golden, DE Matt Shaughnessy and G Jordan Walsh. ... 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Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings.RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina State athletic director Debbie Yow knows the work to build a national top-25 sports program is even tougher now with the Wolfpack hovering near the edge of that goal.In fact, Yow said in an interview with The Associated Press, completing the final steps of that climb could be more difficult than it was to reach the schools current position.Were now into an area where there are very good coaches everywhere, programs that are well-resourced, facilities that are excellent, she said. We have to overcome all of that. Weve got to take someones place. And yeah, that is our goal and I said that the day I was hired six years ago. And it still is.N.C. State stood at 89th in the Directors Cup rankings of Division I sports programs when Yow arrived from Maryland in the summer of 2010. It finished at No. 32 in last weeks final standings for the 2015-16 season after posting its best finish at No. 27 the year before.The school has been ahead of the annual schedule laid out in a five-year strategic plan from 2012. The coming season is the target date to reach top-25 status.We put a stake in the ground. Thats how you have to do this, Yow said. You cant be afraid to put a stake in the ground and then go for it . or (you cant) say, `I cant do that because we might not make it, because thats a horrible way to live.When Yow arrived, N.C. State was coming off a season in which one team finished in the top 25 of its national rankings, while the Wolfpack spent about $78,000 annually per student-athlete, according to the schools report to the U.S. Department of Educations gender equity database.That number has grown to about $109,000 in the most recent numbers for 2014-15 to rank near the middle of the Atlantic Coast Conference. And last year, nine programs earned top-25 finishes, with cross country, mens swimming and diving, and womens swimming and diving finishing in the top 10.The highest-profile sports had mixed results.dddddddddddd. Football made a second straight bowl appearance but fell a win shy of the previous years total. Both basketball programs missed the NCAA Tournament. Baseball was a regional host and a strike away from eliminating eventual College World Series champion Coastal Carolina.Yow -- a former womens basketball coach at Kentucky, Florida and Oral Roberts -- is particularly optimistic about the season ahead for both basketball programs.Hampered by injuries and a shorthanded roster, the mens team missed the NCAAs for the first time in five years under Mark Gottfried but welcomes Scout.coms No. 6-ranked national recruiting class. The womens team had a 20-win season that Yow said without any question deserved an NCAA bid for third-year coach Wes Moore.Were going to sail, Yow said while praising Moores recruiting. Were going to be good. Were going to be fun to watch.That enthusiasm extends to the near-completion of a $35 million revamp to Reynolds Coliseum.Work began in March 2015, displacing womens basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling into temporary venues. The project included shifting the seating bowl to one end of the nearly 70-year-old campus arena, opening space for new team offices and the Wolfpacks sports walk of fame.Teams are due to return next month. Yow said the campus covered about $15 million to share costs with athletics in a project on schedule and under budget, two of my favorite phrases.I think weve maximized what it will be and can be, she said. Because the walk of fame and history is there, it will become important to football and mens basketball because theyll have big displays there. So well be taking recruits in all sports through there. Weve never had any place like that.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap ' ' '