Saturday, January 28
Bloomington, Ind.
8:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Ohio State
Thompson’s Return Leaves Him Eager for Strong Finish
1/28/2023 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Race Thompson figured it was over.
By feel and look, the knee injury suffered against Iowa earlier this month had Indiana's senior forward devastated. A final season of so much promise -- personal and team -- appeared over.
It was not.
Through extensive rehabilitation and exceptional medical care, Thompson missed four games. He's back in the starting lineup as the Hoosiers (14-6 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten) seek to extend their winning streak to five games against struggling Ohio State (11-9, 3-6) Saturday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
"I'm thankful for the Iowa trainers, for Timmy G (long-time team trainer Tim Garl), our medical staff, all of them," Thompson says. "It was a lot of treatment. I'm able to run around and feel better every day."
One consequence, Thompson says, is he's more appreciative of the opportunity that comes from playing basketball at IU.
"Coming back, I have more intensity," he says. "I want to practice every day. I'm so grateful to be able to continue to play and have these last couple of months."
Thompson isn't back to where he was, which he says is more mental than physical.
"I can do everything I need to do," he says. "It's more of a confidence thing. I need to be confident in things you naturally do every day."
Thompson says he continues daily treatment that includes ultra-sound, stretching, single-leg weight lifting and a lot of work strengthening the muscles around his knee.
"I saw my career flash before my eyes," he says. "To still be able to put the work in and practice with the guys, I'm happy and grateful."
In his first game back, against Michigan State, Thompson played four minutes and failed to score. He played 24 minutes in Wednesday night's come-from-behind victory at Minnesota, totaling four points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Before his injury, Thompson averaged 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, and had a strong three-game stretch against Arizona (16 points, nine rebounds), Kansas (11 points four rebounds) and Elon (18 points and 11 rebounds). He had another three-game stretch of making 6-of-10 three-point attempts.
This season, he has scored as many as 20 points and grabbed as many as 14 rebounds.
While Thompson was out, he and injured guard Xavier Johnson served as extra assistant coaches, watching and learning from the on-court action.
"You're able to hear the coaches on the sideline during the game," Thompson says. "They walk me through what they're thinking."
Against Minnesota, Thompson's playing time, especially in the second half, came at the expense of Malik Reneau, who after a 10-point first half, saw little second-half action, and Jordan Geronimo.
Reneau totaled 12 minutes, just one in the second half. Geronimo played just five minutes, only two in the second half.
Associate head coach Yasir Rosemond, who helped take over the Minnesota game coaching duties with head coach Mike Woodson out with Covid, says Reneau's lack of second-half playing time was due to matchups. The Gophers went with a smaller, quicker lineup not suited to Reneau's defensive strengths.
"I told him, it's nothing you're doing wrong, but they kept driving and getting fouls," Rosemond says. "We had to downsize. That gave us the best chance to win."
The Minnesota victory also featured a spectacular dunk by forward Trayce Jackson-Davis off an alley-oop pass from guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
"When you're in the flow of the game, you just think of it as another play," Jackson-Davis says. "When he threw it, I thought it was high, but you've got so much adrenaline pumping through you, so I felt I could go get it. I extended and I got it.
"I saw it on Twitter afterward, and it looked cool. It was a great pass by Jalen and I'm just glad I capitalized on it."
During IU's four-game winning streak, Jackson-Davis is averaging 27.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 3.8 assists.
Woodson is expected to be back on the sidelines Saturday night. An IU release said he is doing "great."
Ohio State has lost six of its last seven games, all by less than 10 points, four by four points or less, one in overtime. The lone victory came at home against Iowa.
This will be the Buckeyes' fourth road game in the last five contests.
They are led by freshman Brice Sensabaugh, whose 17.4 scoring average leads all Big Ten freshmen and ranks second nationally among freshmen. His 46.7 percent three-point shooting ranks first nationally among freshmen.
Ohio State leads the Big Ten in three-point shooting, at 38.8 percent. It holds opponents to 29.3 percent from three-point range.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Race Thompson figured it was over.
By feel and look, the knee injury suffered against Iowa earlier this month had Indiana's senior forward devastated. A final season of so much promise -- personal and team -- appeared over.
It was not.
Through extensive rehabilitation and exceptional medical care, Thompson missed four games. He's back in the starting lineup as the Hoosiers (14-6 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten) seek to extend their winning streak to five games against struggling Ohio State (11-9, 3-6) Saturday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
"I'm thankful for the Iowa trainers, for Timmy G (long-time team trainer Tim Garl), our medical staff, all of them," Thompson says. "It was a lot of treatment. I'm able to run around and feel better every day."
One consequence, Thompson says, is he's more appreciative of the opportunity that comes from playing basketball at IU.
"Coming back, I have more intensity," he says. "I want to practice every day. I'm so grateful to be able to continue to play and have these last couple of months."
Thompson isn't back to where he was, which he says is more mental than physical.
"I can do everything I need to do," he says. "It's more of a confidence thing. I need to be confident in things you naturally do every day."
Thompson says he continues daily treatment that includes ultra-sound, stretching, single-leg weight lifting and a lot of work strengthening the muscles around his knee.
"I saw my career flash before my eyes," he says. "To still be able to put the work in and practice with the guys, I'm happy and grateful."
In his first game back, against Michigan State, Thompson played four minutes and failed to score. He played 24 minutes in Wednesday night's come-from-behind victory at Minnesota, totaling four points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Before his injury, Thompson averaged 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, and had a strong three-game stretch against Arizona (16 points, nine rebounds), Kansas (11 points four rebounds) and Elon (18 points and 11 rebounds). He had another three-game stretch of making 6-of-10 three-point attempts.
This season, he has scored as many as 20 points and grabbed as many as 14 rebounds.
While Thompson was out, he and injured guard Xavier Johnson served as extra assistant coaches, watching and learning from the on-court action.
"You're able to hear the coaches on the sideline during the game," Thompson says. "They walk me through what they're thinking."
Against Minnesota, Thompson's playing time, especially in the second half, came at the expense of Malik Reneau, who after a 10-point first half, saw little second-half action, and Jordan Geronimo.
Reneau totaled 12 minutes, just one in the second half. Geronimo played just five minutes, only two in the second half.
Associate head coach Yasir Rosemond, who helped take over the Minnesota game coaching duties with head coach Mike Woodson out with Covid, says Reneau's lack of second-half playing time was due to matchups. The Gophers went with a smaller, quicker lineup not suited to Reneau's defensive strengths.
"I told him, it's nothing you're doing wrong, but they kept driving and getting fouls," Rosemond says. "We had to downsize. That gave us the best chance to win."
The Minnesota victory also featured a spectacular dunk by forward Trayce Jackson-Davis off an alley-oop pass from guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
"When you're in the flow of the game, you just think of it as another play," Jackson-Davis says. "When he threw it, I thought it was high, but you've got so much adrenaline pumping through you, so I felt I could go get it. I extended and I got it.
"I saw it on Twitter afterward, and it looked cool. It was a great pass by Jalen and I'm just glad I capitalized on it."
During IU's four-game winning streak, Jackson-Davis is averaging 27.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 3.8 assists.
Woodson is expected to be back on the sidelines Saturday night. An IU release said he is doing "great."
Ohio State has lost six of its last seven games, all by less than 10 points, four by four points or less, one in overtime. The lone victory came at home against Iowa.
This will be the Buckeyes' fourth road game in the last five contests.
They are led by freshman Brice Sensabaugh, whose 17.4 scoring average leads all Big Ten freshmen and ranks second nationally among freshmen. His 46.7 percent three-point shooting ranks first nationally among freshmen.
Ohio State leads the Big Ten in three-point shooting, at 38.8 percent. It holds opponents to 29.3 percent from three-point range.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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