Trust and Believe – Thompson Returns for ‘Something Special’
6/21/2022 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Trust and Believe – Thompson Returns for 'Something Special'
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Five years weren't enough.
Not for this.
Not for Race Thompson.
Some guys can't wait to bolt for NBA opportunity -- real and perceived.
Thompson sees the big picture. Patience matters if you're mature enough to understand it.
It's why this 6-8 forward will be an Indiana Hoosier for a sixth and -- one assumes -- final season, although in these pandemic-warped, hyper-changing college sports times, nothing is sure except nothing stays the same.
Thompson wants one more college basketball shot -- at winning a championship, at becoming the player he knows he can be, at getting drafted by an NBA team.
He wants to do it with these Cream 'n Crimson players and coaches, all while wearing the candy stripes for as long as any Hoosier ever has.
Why did Thompson return?
Opportunity and relationships.
"Just meeting with the coaches and then having that relationship that we've built over this past year," he says via last week's media opportunity. "I really trust them. I believe in them. They believe in me, and they're trying to make me the best player I can become."
******
This is Thompson's second season with coach Mike Woodson and his staff. Even though the first year resulted in his best-ever performance (including a Big Ten sportsmanship award, honorable mention all-conference recognition and team captain responsibility), there remains much to learn and improve.
"That's one of the main reasons I came back," he says. "I think that if I can improve my game the way they say I can, I can go to where I have dreamed to go my whole life.
"Just having that second year under your belt with them, just keep building on that relationship," Thompson says. "It's been a lot of fun being around them, coming to practice every day, and just talking to them, getting better with them. Just continuing to push me to be a leader. They're teaching me every day."
Last season, Thompson started all 35 games and ranked second on the team in rebounding (7.5 overall, 7.9 in Big Ten games) and shooting (53.6%), and third in scoring (11.1 points.). He also made 40.0% of his three-point shots over the last 17 games, huge for a guy who had just six 3-point baskets in his first three seasons.
Still, he wants more. His play and IU's strong finish -- it reached the Big Ten tourney semifinals, made the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2016 and won a tournament game en route to a 21-14 record -- helped convince him to stay for a final college season.
"It was one of the reasons I came back," he says. "Coach Woodson, when he first got hired, he said that we were trying to change the culture around here, and I feel like last year we kind of turned the corner a little bit, and I think that we have more corners to turn."
Thompson didn't project as an NBA draft pick this spring, and overseas possibilities left plenty of uncertainty.
Staying another year could change that.
"It was the question I didn't know where I would go. If I was to go pro, where would I be? I don't know.
"If I came back and kept building on what I've done the last two years of playing real minutes, hopefully I can get some type of contract in the next year."
Financial opportunities provided by the NIL (Name Image Likeness), which gives athletes the chance to make money (without schools paying them) had little impact on Thompson's decision to return.
"I wouldn't say the NIL was the reason I came back. It really was about me becoming the player that I want to become, and then again, trusting in these coaches to push me to be that player."
What does he need to do to become that player?
"It really comes down to being able to shoot better and handle the ball. That's not getting away from my bread and butter where I can post-up any time, but I think it really comes down to being able to shoot.
"I've been working on it. (The coaches) have been working with me on it a lot, showing me what I need to do, what I need to change about my shot, just little tiny things to make my shot more consistent. We've seen improvements already."
What are those changes?
"The first is shot preparation. Having my hand behind the ball ready to shoot when I catch it. Not having to make a lot of movements with the ball when I shoot it.
"That's something that's helped. I've noticed I've made a lot more shots that way."
*****
As far as team prospects, the return of veterans such as Trayce Jackson-Davis, Xavier Johnson, Jordan Geronimo, Tamar Bates and Trey Galloway, plus the addition of one of the nation's best freshman classes (Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, C.J. Gunn and Kaleb Banks), has IU projected as the Big Ten favorite, and perhaps more.
"With the people we've brought in," Thompson says, "and then the people that we kept, we can really do something special this year. We've obviously got to play when the lights come on. Everybody is going to come out to play every single night.
"Unfinished business is definitely something that we talk about. We kind of just made one step on that stepping-stone and we need to continue to make more steps."
The ultimate steps are Big Ten and national titles. IU's last conference crown came in 2016. Its last national championship was in 1987.
"That's something we talk about every day in practice," Thompson says. "Our goal is to win a Big Ten championship and a national championship.
"We talked about that last year and we almost got into the Big Ten (tourney) championship game. We fell short and don't want to feel that again.
"We got that feeling where the ball starting rolling our way. That's what we want to feel all year."
As for preseason predictions that list IU as the Big Ten title favorite, Thompson adds, "I don't pay attention to that. It's June, so it's really early to say. No one has seen anybody play or anything. It's just a prediction. We know we've got to put the work in and perform when the lights come on."
Performance includes better shooting, an annual weakness since that 2016 season that also included a NCAA tourney Sweet 16 run.
Summer workouts are encouraging.
"We're already shooting better than last year around this time," Thompson says.
"We have warm-up drills where we keep track of how many makes, we get. We've already bested what we started at last year. Our first time this year we got like 25. Our first time last summer was 12, so we doubled that on the first day.
"Overall, it's been very competitive, more competitive than it was last year. We have a lot of talent. It's going to be a lot of fun to keep getting to know these guys and play together."
******
When his IU days are finally over, Thompson says he hopes he's remembered as "Someone who gave it all he had every time he stepped on the court."
"I'm not sure exactly what I want my legacy to be. I think I've set a footprint. Hopefully I can make another couple footprints this coming year.
"If I keep playing the way I can play, and play even a little bit better and improve my game as I have every year, I think that will really show what a true Hoosier is, what it's all about to be a Hoosier.
"I think that's really what I want."
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Five years weren't enough.
Not for this.
Not for Race Thompson.
Some guys can't wait to bolt for NBA opportunity -- real and perceived.
Thompson sees the big picture. Patience matters if you're mature enough to understand it.
It's why this 6-8 forward will be an Indiana Hoosier for a sixth and -- one assumes -- final season, although in these pandemic-warped, hyper-changing college sports times, nothing is sure except nothing stays the same.
Thompson wants one more college basketball shot -- at winning a championship, at becoming the player he knows he can be, at getting drafted by an NBA team.
He wants to do it with these Cream 'n Crimson players and coaches, all while wearing the candy stripes for as long as any Hoosier ever has.
Why did Thompson return?
Opportunity and relationships.
"Just meeting with the coaches and then having that relationship that we've built over this past year," he says via last week's media opportunity. "I really trust them. I believe in them. They believe in me, and they're trying to make me the best player I can become."
******
This is Thompson's second season with coach Mike Woodson and his staff. Even though the first year resulted in his best-ever performance (including a Big Ten sportsmanship award, honorable mention all-conference recognition and team captain responsibility), there remains much to learn and improve.
"That's one of the main reasons I came back," he says. "I think that if I can improve my game the way they say I can, I can go to where I have dreamed to go my whole life.
"Just having that second year under your belt with them, just keep building on that relationship," Thompson says. "It's been a lot of fun being around them, coming to practice every day, and just talking to them, getting better with them. Just continuing to push me to be a leader. They're teaching me every day."
Last season, Thompson started all 35 games and ranked second on the team in rebounding (7.5 overall, 7.9 in Big Ten games) and shooting (53.6%), and third in scoring (11.1 points.). He also made 40.0% of his three-point shots over the last 17 games, huge for a guy who had just six 3-point baskets in his first three seasons.
Still, he wants more. His play and IU's strong finish -- it reached the Big Ten tourney semifinals, made the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2016 and won a tournament game en route to a 21-14 record -- helped convince him to stay for a final college season.
"It was one of the reasons I came back," he says. "Coach Woodson, when he first got hired, he said that we were trying to change the culture around here, and I feel like last year we kind of turned the corner a little bit, and I think that we have more corners to turn."
Thompson didn't project as an NBA draft pick this spring, and overseas possibilities left plenty of uncertainty.
Staying another year could change that.
"It was the question I didn't know where I would go. If I was to go pro, where would I be? I don't know.
"If I came back and kept building on what I've done the last two years of playing real minutes, hopefully I can get some type of contract in the next year."
Financial opportunities provided by the NIL (Name Image Likeness), which gives athletes the chance to make money (without schools paying them) had little impact on Thompson's decision to return.
"I wouldn't say the NIL was the reason I came back. It really was about me becoming the player that I want to become, and then again, trusting in these coaches to push me to be that player."
What does he need to do to become that player?
"It really comes down to being able to shoot better and handle the ball. That's not getting away from my bread and butter where I can post-up any time, but I think it really comes down to being able to shoot.
"I've been working on it. (The coaches) have been working with me on it a lot, showing me what I need to do, what I need to change about my shot, just little tiny things to make my shot more consistent. We've seen improvements already."
What are those changes?
"The first is shot preparation. Having my hand behind the ball ready to shoot when I catch it. Not having to make a lot of movements with the ball when I shoot it.
"That's something that's helped. I've noticed I've made a lot more shots that way."
*****
As far as team prospects, the return of veterans such as Trayce Jackson-Davis, Xavier Johnson, Jordan Geronimo, Tamar Bates and Trey Galloway, plus the addition of one of the nation's best freshman classes (Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, C.J. Gunn and Kaleb Banks), has IU projected as the Big Ten favorite, and perhaps more.
"With the people we've brought in," Thompson says, "and then the people that we kept, we can really do something special this year. We've obviously got to play when the lights come on. Everybody is going to come out to play every single night.
"Unfinished business is definitely something that we talk about. We kind of just made one step on that stepping-stone and we need to continue to make more steps."
The ultimate steps are Big Ten and national titles. IU's last conference crown came in 2016. Its last national championship was in 1987.
"That's something we talk about every day in practice," Thompson says. "Our goal is to win a Big Ten championship and a national championship.
"We talked about that last year and we almost got into the Big Ten (tourney) championship game. We fell short and don't want to feel that again.
"We got that feeling where the ball starting rolling our way. That's what we want to feel all year."
As for preseason predictions that list IU as the Big Ten title favorite, Thompson adds, "I don't pay attention to that. It's June, so it's really early to say. No one has seen anybody play or anything. It's just a prediction. We know we've got to put the work in and perform when the lights come on."
Performance includes better shooting, an annual weakness since that 2016 season that also included a NCAA tourney Sweet 16 run.
Summer workouts are encouraging.
"We're already shooting better than last year around this time," Thompson says.
"We have warm-up drills where we keep track of how many makes, we get. We've already bested what we started at last year. Our first time this year we got like 25. Our first time last summer was 12, so we doubled that on the first day.
"Overall, it's been very competitive, more competitive than it was last year. We have a lot of talent. It's going to be a lot of fun to keep getting to know these guys and play together."
******
When his IU days are finally over, Thompson says he hopes he's remembered as "Someone who gave it all he had every time he stepped on the court."
"I'm not sure exactly what I want my legacy to be. I think I've set a footprint. Hopefully I can make another couple footprints this coming year.
"If I keep playing the way I can play, and play even a little bit better and improve my game as I have every year, I think that will really show what a true Hoosier is, what it's all about to be a Hoosier.
"I think that's really what I want."
Players Mentioned
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