Race Thompson Thrives Outside the Box

By Pete DiPrimio

IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Defying the odds?

Yes, that's part of it, as Indiana senior forward Race Thompson plays to a potential only he and his coach once thought likely.

"I expect a lot from Race," coach Mike Woodson says, "and Race has come through. He's doing a lot of wonderful things. Things that some people thought he couldn't do when I got here. He's gotten better because he's put in the work and that's a testament to him."

As Indiana (10-2) resumes Big Ten play, Thompson defends ferociously, rebounds relentlessly, scores efficiently and even accepts some mini point-guard responsibility.

Woodson, you see, has no use for limits, for the team, the program or his players.

"I think the unique thing," Woodson says, "is I'm letting Race bring the ball up the court and make plays in that regard.

"I didn't box him in a box when I got here. I tried to make everybody comfortable. He's got to be that way because you're going to get caught throughout the course of a game where you've got to make a play with the basketball.

"He's comfortable in that area. He's comfortable in making plays around the rim. I can't praise him enough.

"He's just got to continue to work and hopefully he'll grow and get even better."

No Hoosier has seen that growth better than junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.

"Race is someone that just brings it every day. He's the glue guy. He's the glue of our team. He holds our team together.

"Last year, you saw a few games where he was just on the boards relentless. This year he's doing more of that. He's just trying to attack the glass and being a more complete player."

Thompson can be a ruthlessly efficient scorer. In games against Merrimack, Notre Dame and Northern Kentucky, Thompson made 17 of 19 shots. One of those misses was from three-point range. The others were well inside the arc.

What makes him so efficient?

"The fact that we are delivering the ball to him in areas where he can be effective," Woodson says. "You know, he's been working on his little floaters, his little jump shots and things of that nature."

Thompson was hesitant about shooting early on. Woodson set him straight.

"He would be shy and not shoot," Jackson-Davis says. "Coach Woodson was like, 'You've got to do that. You've got to be a scorer for us.'"

Despite Thompson's 2-for-15 three-point accuracy this season, Woodson doesn't put on a stop sign.

"I don't mind him shooting threes. He's got to get comfortable shooting them and making them.

"But he's been so effective for us around the bucket, and the fact that we work on it every day in terms of delivering the ball down low to all our bigs, because that's where our strength as a team is.

"I'm happy for him because he's worked. There were a lot of things when I got here that people said he couldn't do, and he's defeating all the odds. He's doing a lot of great things."

Adds Jackson-Davis: "Race does a little bit of everything. He's not really a 100 percent stretch forward, but he can hit a three if he needs to."

Then there's Thompson's improved perimeter defense.

"I try to keep a little bit of space," Thompson says. "Sometimes they've got the step on me, maybe a little quicker than me, but I try to be smart about it and think about it. I really pay attention to personnel, what they want to do, what this player likes to do.

"I key in on that and know that player's strength and try to force him away from that, and, again, force him to Trayce if I get beat or to the middle where most of the help is.

"It's really just a scouting thing. Just keep doing it and keep getting more comfortable with it."

Thompson's strength is as an in-the-paint force to rival Jackson-Davis.

"I think (we) complement each other very well," Jackson-Davis says. "We seem to always know where we're going to be on offense, and the double teams come from his guy and I'm able to hit him and he's vice-versa.

"But I think the biggest thing with both of us is we are unselfish and we pass out of the post, especially if we are doubled."

Add IU's improved three-point shooting (it shoots 37 percent beyond the arc led by Big Ten leader Parker Stewart's 49.1 percent), and it leaves opponents in a major defensive bind.

"It's really tough to prepare for because you never know," Jackson-Davis says. "You try to take something away and then you have to counter another thing. Like you have got Race, Anthony (Leal), Parker, Miller (Kopp) and guys like that shooting threes. So you can't prepare for both of us and stop both of us because we have so many pieces on our team."

Thompson plays to his senior experience and ability. Call it defying odds or pushing the limits or playing to a coach's vision.

"As you grow in college as a player, you expect older guys to do things at a higher level," Woodson says. "He's been around awhile, expectations are high. He's got to be held to a lot higher standard from accountability standpoint."

Indiana University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Parker Stewart

Race Thompson

Related Videos