Sam Thompson just might be the freshman of the 2011 class that is sneaking under the radar. The 6’6″ wing out of Chicago Illinois has shown throughout his career a versatility, intensity, and athletic ability that is bar none one of the top in the 2011 class.
The truth of the matter is, the 2011 class is more athletic than any other incoming group in Thad Matta’s tenure. Shannon Scott has the intangibles to be a starting point guard at nearly every school in the Big Ten Conference. He has the ability to make sound decisions on the floor creates open space. Which very much compliments the play of Sam Thompson.
The slasher gets to the hoop quickly and finishes plays in emphatic fashion. He can take you to the hoop and loose you with one step. If you stay with him, he’ll put up a solid floater from just beyond the free throw line. If you are physical, he’ll back you down until he finds the cylinder.
If none of that gets the job done, Thompson will just dish off to the wide open man. He’s regarded as a scorer and offensive threat, but like Scott, he’s a top ten passer in the 2011 class.
Though Amir Williams, Trey McDonald, and even his guard counterpart Shannon Scott will probably have more playing time in their freshman campaigns, it’s Sam Thompson that has the most upside. Make sure you lock your DVR on every single moment that this high flyer is on the court in 2011.
Without a doubt, it’s going to be exciting.
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
High School: Whitney Young
Position: Forward (2/3)
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-7
Weight: 190
High School Accolades:
– 17.6 PPG (2011)
– 8.7 RPG (2011)
– 3.3 APG (2011)
– McDonalds All-American Nominee (2011)
– Two-Time Chicago Sun-Time All-Area
Despite playing on a highly talented Whitney Young squad, in arguably the Mecca of college basketball, Thompson found a way to stand out.
Now he is doing so on campus.
Thad Matta told CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman that Thompson is the “most athletic player I’ve ever coached.” He’s that talented, yet ranked by most as the fourth best prospect in the Ohio State 2011 class.
Yet even more proof the future is bright in Columbus.
High School Film:
Though an initial peak on YouTube would make you think that Sam Thompson is on the And 1 Mixtape tour, here is some actual footage that breaks down game play.
As you can see, Thompson is very diverse, plays timely defense, and looks to add insult to injury with his beautiful display of dunking the basketball.
Strengths:
What translate so well on the court for Thompson is his all-around ability. Here is a guy that could run an offense of a run and gun team, distribute the rock to the best option, create space to make his own shot, or drive to the hoop in traffic and either take the foul or the easy dunk. Then he’ll get on defense and guard the opposing point guard, sharp shooter, or wing man at the small forward position.
Looking beyond the flashiness, Sam Thompson will do what ever it takes for a team to win ballgames. He’ll play wherever you need him to. And the best part is he’ll adapt his game to exactly what the team needs. He comes into college basketball as already one of the better passers. For his size, he is already an Ohio State type wing that knows how to rebound. Once he rips down the board, he has the wherewithal to get down the court, and the vision to know if it’s best to drive to the lane or kick it out to somebody wide open on the perimeter. His game is often compared to former Buckeye start Evan Turner, because he’s dangerous in so many ways. Thompson’s high school Head Coach Tyrone Slaughter put it best last December.
“Sam is a different kind of superstar. He doesn’t go out and score a bunch of points against bad teams. But what he’ll do is get you double figures in points, rebounds, assists. Defensively, he’ll guard the other team’s best player one-through-four, and depending on the matchup, some fives.”
Thompson is the type of athlete that is so talented, that his raw ability he was born with could supersede almost any moment on the court that needs to be taught. Because he is so smart, he doesn’t have to think at times or adjust his game based on what he hasn’t learned yet.
Weaknesses:
One look at Thompson in the game file or picture above and it’s obvious that he is going to have to add size and strength in order to stay consistent and handle the bumps and bruises of Big Ten play. He has the frame to add some muscle and still be at peak athletically and I imagine that’s one of the first things he worked on with the conditioning staff. Another part of his game that could use some work is his jumper. While he does have beautiful form, his consistency does lack a bit for the college game. Like we’ve said a million times this off-season, Chris Jent will have a huge factor in his improvement on that aspect of his game.
If he can add a perimeter shot to his arsenal, and really hone it in the next few seasons, then the chances of Sam Thompson becoming one of the better all-around players in recent OSU history could be in reach.
Role with the Team:
It’s hard to say where Thompson fits in the mix of incoming freshman and wing players, but with LaQuinton Ross out until at least the beginning of December, Thompson has a jump start at becoming the spark of the bench that Aaron Craft was last year. If he can focus in on the tasks that Thad Matta has for him, then without a doubt he will see a good amount of minutes this season.
With so much talent at the 2 and 3, it will be hard for Thompson to lock up guaranteed time on the court in 2011. But by next season, Buckeye fans will have a different man in mind when it comes to donning the #12 jersey. That’s a bold outtake considering Ron Lewis is a hero to this school.
But like this kid’s game, I’m bold, brash, and ready for the next big thing.
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