NBA Draft Blog Interview with Sam Thompson

Making your mark in any college basketball program is tough, but doing it at a school with a solid basketball history like Ohio State takes a special kind of effort. Sam Thompson, a 6’7 wing out of Chicago, may have been overshadowed by higher scoring teammates during his four seasons as a Buckeye, but he was a key player for a team which won 109 games over his career, and made a Final Four and an Elite Eight appearance.

Thompson improved each of his years at Ohio State, culminating in a senior season where he averaged 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, all career highs. Though known primarily for his high-level dunking ability, Thompson has started to develop into a very well-rounded player, and he is eager to show what he can do as a pro basketball player.

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Thompson is grateful for the experience he has had at Ohio State, citing the program for his growth as a player and a person. “It was a natural maturation process over my four years,” said Thompson. “I have to give a lot of credit to Coach Matta and the staff. I learned to hold myself accountable on and off the court.”

The maturation on the court included Thompson steadily adding pieces to his game during each season. “Coming out of high school, I relied much more on my athleticism for everything,” Thompson said. “During my college career, I was able to grow different parts of my game.”

As Thompson prepares for the NBA Draft, he realizes there are certain areas of his game which will be more attractive to pro teams. “My athleticism is probably my biggest strength, especially on the defensive side,” Thompson explained. “I think my defense will translate well. Also, I’m a better shooter than I get credit for.”

Though Thompson thinks his shooting is better than people realize, he realizes it’s still one of the areas where he is focusing his work over the coming months. “I shot better earlier in my career, and I need to be able to show people that I am a better shooter than my numbers say,” said Thompson. “The mechanics are there, I just need to show I can knock down shots.”

Though shooting is a key area, Thompson is focused on some other important skills as well. “I’ve been working on creating off the dribble more,” said Thompson. “I wasn’t asked to do it much in college, but I’ll need to do it as a pro. Plus, I need to work more on getting my own shot.”

Coming from a tradition-rich program like Ohio State, with players consistently going through the NBA Draft process, Thompson should have plenty of advice to help him through the next few months. “I’ve talked to a couple of my teammates who have been through the process,” said Thompson. “Their advice to me was to not hold back and approach every day on the court like it’s my last.”

Thompson, who is working out at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, can envision the type of player he could be for any pro team. “I think my athletic ability and defensive IQ would allow me to come in and be a defensive stopper,” Thompson explained. “I think I have a lot of upside and improvement left for a four-year guy, plus the athleticism to play the pro game. I’m a much better shooter than teams will expect.”

With Thompson’s combination of athletic ability and still-developing skill, he will be a player to keep your eye on over the next few months as he starts to work out for NBA teams.

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