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Thursday, January 5 in Iowa City is a night that Race Thompson and Indiana would probably like to forget. For the group as a whole, the result has likely been reduced to a footnote with regards to the entire season. Indiana has been hitting its stride as of late and has put the blown 21-point lead and loss in the rearview mirror probably helps that cause.

But for Thompson in particular, he believed his career was over that evening. With a 10-point lead late in the first half, Iowa's Tony Perkins rolled up on his right leg and Thompson needed help off the floor, clearly favoring his right side and refusing to put any weight on the leg. With tears in his eyes, Thompson couldn't help but let his mind wonder if that was really it for the sixth-year senior's career.

"I mean, when it first happened, I thought it was pretty much over," Thompson told the media on Tuesday morning. "The way it felt, the way I knew it looked, I pretty much thought my career was a wrap."

Yet after just a four game absence, Thompson returned to a thunderous standing ovation from the Assembly Hall crowd as he checked into the game versus Michigan State. Although his impact wasn't massive in the overall outcome of the contest, it's significant that his return even occurred in the first place, let alone so soon after the initial diagnosis.

"Thankful for the Iowa trainers, Timmy G, getting me in ice quick and getting all the results back," Thompson continued. "Just a lot of treatment and I'm able to run around, feeling better every day now."

Now, Thompson's focus shifts to getting more reps on the floor and getting his mind back to being in a comfortable state with playing basketball at full speed.

"I can do everything I could do," Thompson said, "I think it's more of like a confidence thing. I think when you have anything, you lose a bit of confidence in things that you just naturally do."

As Thompson went through his recovery and eventually found his way back to the court, the process has afforded him a new outlook on the game. With a clear mind and his health on the mend, the ferocity with which he plays is now at an all-time high.

"I think that's another thing, coming back, I have even more intensity and want to practice every day and want to be here," Thompson said. "With that moment, the flash of everything here being done, just being grateful to be able to continue to play here and have the last couple of months to just be with the guys. To be able to play, be healthy, and not actually be over."

In Thompson's absence, Indiana had to find a replacement for his production and a new running mate down on the low block for All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. Although it wasn't initially seamless, the Hoosiers found an answer with junior forward Jordan Geronimo, his maturation and progress into the role being one that has helped spring Indiana on their recent stretch of success.

The whole time, Geronimo had Thompson's support. Now he's got to earn some of the minutes back from his teammate, a challenge that Indiana's No. 25 is welcoming with open arms.

"I mean we're a team that is very deep so I think with Jordan coming into the new role of playing more minutes," Thompson said. "He's been playing really well and I'm really happy for him. I'm texting him, I was texting him all the time when he first started and then now, he's really coming into himself. I don't think any of us are surprised because we've seen it every day.

"I think he's earned the right to play that much. I got to try to get some minutes back from him, so hopefully we can keep that up and keep helping us win."

With everything in perspective for Thompson as he continues to get back to himself, everything is rooted in appreciation from here forward.

"I think I'm just grateful, extremely grateful," Thompson said. "I just feel like I saw my whole career flash before my eyes, and with it not being over and still being able to play, I think I'm just grateful ever day to come here and lift, be able to put extra work in and be able to practice with the guys, I think that's really it.

"I think I'm always really just happy and grateful to be here."

Thompson's return comes just in time for his final game close to home in Plymouth, Minnesota, the Hoosiers' upcoming contest being against the Gophers in the Barn Wednesday evening. It's fitting that this one means a little bit more, synonymous with his career at IU the rest of the way out.

"Definitely going back home, it means a little bit more," Thompson said. "Never want to lose to the hometown team. I have a ton of family coming, I couldn't even tell you. I know I got damn near everybody's tickets. I know people who bought tickets who are coming. So I probably have upwards of 50, 60 people that will be there.

"It definitely means more to play in front of friends and family like that, it's a lot of fun. I don't usually get a lot of people to come to games, I usually don't have anybody coming to the games unless it's an away game. So, it'll definitely be good to have everybody there and it definitely means a little bit more."

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