Liked the way Thompson control a game with his blend of facilitating and scoring the basketball. He is tough to stay in front of if you are guarding him and found ways to get into the paint. Thompson added double figure scoring for NEPA Elite in the game I evaluated of him. He was in good spots to rebound the ball. Thompson also has a phenomenal pulse on finding others for scoring chances.

While Antoniacci received much of the publicity, he wasn’t the only intriguing underclass guard in the area, as Thompson used his sophomore campaign to establish himself as a potential D1 prospect in his own right. A pure lead guard, he sees things develop a step or two ahead of the play while routinely setting his teammates up for success with pinpoint passes in their preferred scoring zones. He shows polish to his downhill attack as a scorer with the ability to hit knock down perimeter shots when left open. Defensively, Thompson uses his size, length, and IQ to be a consistent pest for opposing guards. He’s not the flashiest or most dynamic but offers clear value as an old-school floor general who knows how to impact winning.

Thompson is an instinctive floor general with elusive change of direction / pace handles. Those shifty dribble moves created off the dribble scoring opportunities for Thompson and allowed him to facilitate for teammates. Thompson got into the paint for lay-ins, floaters, and runners off the glass. He also got paint touches and the dropped passes to cutters or kicked out to shooters. Plus, Thompson pushed the rock in the open court for scores and assists. When he got to the rim, Thompson executed several SportsCenter worthy finishes. Thompson proved he is a versatile defender too.  

Thompson is a shifty floor general who at the Spring Jam Fest created off the bounce for himself as well as teammates. His change of direction / pace dribbles enabled Thompson to get into the paint for lay-ins, floaters, and runners off the glass. He also penetrated the lane and then slipped passes to the dunker spot or executed kick outs. Thompson’s live dribble passing was remarkable. He was also extremely skilled at pushing the rock in transition. When Thompson kicked into gear on the fast break, he blew past opponents running back on defense and then finished at the rim with a creative touch. College coaches will love Thompson’s high IQ and unselfish nature.    

The first item that jumped out in New Jersey about Thompson’s skill set was his ability to run “the show.” In both the transition game as well as half-court possessions, Thompson worked as a poised and high IQ floor general. His ability to dictate tempo was extraordinary. His elusive handles and court vision produced creative assists. Thompson got into the lane for kicks outs and drop passes too. He also scored off the dribble via lay-ins and runners. On defense, Thompson’s active hands produced a slew of steals.    

It wasn’t his highest scoring outing, as Thompson was limited to single digits on the afternoon, but he was still the unquestioned engine of the Crusader attack with his cerebral vision and playmaking ability. As dependable a ballhandler as you’ll find, Thompson expertly picked and chose his spots to attack while probing with maturity in search of open teammates near the rim or along the perimeter. Thompson also flashed his ability to pressure defenses as a scorer in the midrange. As he continues to extend his range more consistently out to the arc, Thompson figures to emerge onto D1 radars with his increasingly rare skillset as a pure PG.

The straw that stirs the drink for Holy Cross, Thompson is a throwback of sorts as a pass-first lead guard, playing with a poise, IQ, and unselfishness as just a sophomore that truly bely his years. Thompson sprayed the ball all over the court at the helm of the Crusader offense, contributing all across the floor game while also getting downhill himself for a team-high 15 points to orchestrate the win. His assist numbers don’t accurately portray how effective he was at getting the ball off the glass and getting the ball up the floor to teammates in spots to attack. His crispness as a driver, finisher, and decisionmaker with the ball in his hands all bode well for his long-term translation at the next level. While he did hit two second half triples, we’d still like to see him become more dangerous as a perimeter shooter. Nonetheless, Thompson certainly looks like he has the potential to run a D1 team one day with reasonable progression in the coming years.