Recruiting Report: Race Thompson (2018)
On New Year’s Day of 2016 Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino extended a scholarship offer to Robbinsdale Armstrong forward Race Thompson, a 6-foot-8 skilled sophomore who leads the Falcons (7-3) with 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Race is…
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Continue ReadingOn New Year’s Day of 2016 Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino extended a scholarship offer to Robbinsdale Armstrong forward Race Thompson, a 6-foot-8 skilled sophomore who leads the Falcons (7-3) with 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Race is the son of Darrell Thompson, the all-time leading rusher in Gopher football history (also a five year veteran of the Green Bay Packers and the current color analyst for Gopher football radio). Race was excited to receive an offer from the school his father played in the late 80s.
“I was excited that the team that I watched growing up offered me a scholarship,” Race said after receiving the offer. “Coach Pitino is a good coach and I’m excited to get to know the staff at Minnesota more.”
Thompson has started as the “five” for Armstrong as a freshman and sophomore but he’s not a center or really a power forward either. Race is better labeled as a small forward if you need to put a position label on him.
What Race really does is do whatever his Coach Greg Miller asks him to do and that often includes bringing the ball up the floor, posting up with back to the basket, facing up inside, or playing on the wing.
“I’m super excited about the offer, as is Race,” Miller said after learning Thompson received the Gopher offer. “Race is the first player from Armstrong to be offered by Minnesota in basketball.
“I’ve coached Race since fourth grade as he’s in my son’s grade so it’s especially gratifying to see him work so hard to improve. I think his AAU coach Deon (Richardson) really helped him as well.
“Race is developing as a fierce competitor. I like your Royce White comparison (that is who I feel Race has much in common with in terms of size, skill, and pace of development) in terms of ball handling and leading the break.
“Race shoots the 3 better than Royce did. Race will be a match up nightmare in the Big 10 and he can guard multiple positions. He has guarded the one through the five for us. He’s shooting 70 percent from two point range with many dunks.”
Miller also added that Race is shooting 48 percent from the three-point line. This summer Thompson played for the D1 Minnesota 15 and Under team that was the best 15U squad in Minnesota and one of the top ranked 15U teams in the nation.
During that time Race received an offer from North Dakota and put himself on the radar of several schools.
“Iowa and Marquette have been at practice this year,” said Miller. “I think Michigan State may get in the mix.”