By Wes Scott
Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin - the family of Class of 2018 forward Race Thompson have spent their collegiate years all across the Big Ten.
Race’s father, Darrell, was a running back for the University of Minnesota during the late 1980s, becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher before being drafted No. 19 overall by the Green Bay Packers. His mother, Stephanie, was a dynamic volleyball player for Iowa. Even his older sister, Dominique, was an All-American volleyball player for Wisconsin.
With soon-to-be-senior Race Thompson the next in line to graduate, will the 6-8 forward from Minneapolis follow in his parents’ footsteps and choose the Big Ten?
“I don’t think so,” head coach Greg Miller says, when asked if Race’s family’s past would play a role in his decision. “Race is pretty independently-minded. He considers the pros and cons of going to, say, Minnesota, or any other school.”
Miller would be the one to know about the thinking process of Race Thompson. Why? Because Miller has been coaching Race since he was in elementary school.
“I have been coaching him since fourth grade, because he is the same age as my son, Isaiah. They have always played together,” Miller says. “I had him fourth grade through eighth grade in traveling ball, then for Varsity his ninth grade year until now.”
According to Miller, there was talk early among coaches of possibly starting Race out on the JV squad once he attended Robbinsdale Armstrong High School (MN). Eventually, though, it became clear he needed to be on Varsity as a freshman.
“He has always been one of the stronger kids for his age,” Miller recalls. “We wanted him to be a versatile player by handling the ball as well as playing both inside and out. We had him shooting the three at a young age because of his strength.”
Fast forward to 2017 and Thompson is a leader for his high school team. Last season as a junior, the forward averaged 19.6 point and 8.9 rebounds per game. He shot 38.5-percent from the field, including 45-percent from three. His 101 free throws attempted also set a single-season team record.
Despite all of those accolades, Miller thinks that Thompson’s best skill is one he wishes he could show off more – his passing.
“His passing is the number one thing he does at a high level,” Miller said. “Passing into or out of the post, from the elbow, on the fast break. He has just turned into a real smart passer.”
A strong passer who stands at 6-foot-8 might sound like a rarity to some. However, with how the game of basketball is evolving, players of every position are attempting to become more versatile. Even Thompson, who is the tallest on his high school team, has seen time at every position on the floor.
“I took some slack early on when I played Race outside and inside when he was younger. Some (fans) didn’t understand why I didn’t just throw him in the post,” Miller says. “From a young age, he was always so coordinated for a tall guy. His IQ of basketball was always very high, and he could adapt to different positions.”
That versatility has made him a standout for college coaches. During time playing for his D1 Minnesota AAU team, coaches and scouts alike have been drawn to his ability to play the entire floor.
“He is a versatile scorer who can score inside or from three. He has good body control that helps him get to the line. He has gotten a lot stronger from where he began,” Miller says. “But his versatility is why college coaches fell in love with him. It’s more of a modern style of basketball nowadays, and he has been trained for that.”
That training, which Miller has seen first-hand for nearly a decade, has been ingrained in Thompson’s DNA. With his entire immediate family being Division I athletes – even his grandfather, George, wrote a book on volleyball in the 1950s – Race has no other choice than to excel in sports.
“Race comes from such a good family, which is what makes things so easy for him,” Miller said. “They are incredibly grounded and give him high expectations with low pressure…Race could have chosen to transfer, but he stayed loyal, which speaks volumes about the family.
“I guess he didn’t get too tired of me,” Miller jokes. “I, certainly, didn’t get tired of him.”
Defensively, Miller calls Thompson a “good, but not awesome defender.” While he led his team in charges taken and blocked shots (30), the coach understands that Thompson could be asked to guard both a small or power forward at the next level.
“He needs to get quicker. If he guards the four, he’ll be fine,” Miller says. “Eventually, he may be asked to guard the three man. I don’t think we’re ready for him to do that yet, because he will need to get quicker. But he has long arms – a seven-foot wingspan – that helps keeps opponents in front of him, and long arms are what really helps on defense.
“He’s not slow, but some athletes are a little quicker,” Miller continues.
With Race’s junior year coming to a close, his coach expects him to take his time in the college selection process, and “wait until football season” to make his college selection.
Currently, Thompson in being recruited hardest by Iowa State, Marquette and Minnesota, but Indiana did offer the power forward on May 2. Assistant coach Tom Ostrom, who has ties to the area, has taken over the lead in the recruiting.
According to 247Sports.com, Thompson is ranked No. 72 nationally and is the 19th-best power forward.
