10/3/2022 basketball Edit

Race Thompson ready for one last go-around at IU: 'The sky is the limit'

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana forward Race Thompson decided to return for his sixth year and gave Mike Woodson another building block in his second year. Not only did Indiana bring back Trayce Jackson-Davis and Xavier Johnson, but Thompson brings back additional leadership, versatility and toughness.

Thompson was part of the 2018 recruiting class and reclassified up a year to redshirt the 2017 season. Now, five years later, Thompson has turned into one of the most productive big men in the Big Ten.

"Listen, he's been one of the most consistent players in the Big Ten," IU head coach Mike Woodson said towards the end of last season. "I mean, his numbers are very, very consistent in terms of how he's played. And we've all benefited from it."

Thompson averaged 11.1 points per game last season while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 59.7 percent on his two-point attempts. He also averaged a career high 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

He not only became one of Indiana's most consistent players, he became one of its most important and go-to players.

Race Thompson enters his final season at Indiana with simple, but high goals in mind for himself and the team.

Thompson's numbers have increased each year. From 0.7 points per game as a freshman to 11.1 a season ago. He scored 359 points in his first three years combined and totaled 387 points last year alone.

His growth as a scorer has been a significant development for Indiana, as has his ability to stretch the floor -- a key for Indiana this upcoming season.

"I think it really comes down to being able to shoot the ball better and handle the ball," Thompson previously said about improvements in the off-season. "Then again, that's not getting away from bread and butter where I can post-up any time, but I think it really comes down to being able to shoot the ball."

While his growth on the floor as a player has been significant, as has his growth as a leader. Thompson entered the Indiana program when there wasn't a tremendous amount of leadership at the top. He saw the good, the bad and the lowest that Indiana has been in the past decade.

Now, he's taking everything he's learned the last five years and bringing it to one last go-around.

:I mean, as a team, this is all new for everybody, so I mean, obviously I've grown as a leader as I've been here," Thompson said at IU media day. "I've been here for a while. I've been taught by the people who came before me, so I'm trying just to pass my knowledge that I learned from them on down on things that worked and things that didn't work so we can build as a team and just be the best team we can be."

In his first season at Indiana, the Hoosiers went 16-15, then 19-16 and then 20-12. The 20-win season, Indiana was on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament -- and likely would have been in -- before covid halted the season. Indiana followed it up with a 12-15 season the following year.

Last year, after entering the transfer portal and returning to Indiana, Thompson was a key cog in Indiana's 21-win season and trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

"I really wanted to come back as a team," Thompson said. "Coach Woodson and just the steps we took the prior years to last year is just getting better and better, and I wanted to be a part of that.

"I think the sky's the limit for our team this year. We've got a really deep team, really good freshmen coming in, really good returning players. Only lost a few guys, but I think we gained back a lot, so I'm real excited for this year."

So, as Thompson enters what will be his final season at Indiana, it's not only Indiana's most talented team since he's been here, but also the one with the highest expectations nationally.

Yes, all of that matters to Thompson, but at the end of the day there is just one aspect of his career that he wants to be remembered for -- if nothing else.

"Just a great teammate and someone who would do anything to win a game," Thompson said of his legacy. "I mean, that's all I could ask for. Just a good teammate, good friend, good all that. All the good stuff. That's really it."