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Chicago (IL) Whitney Young Magnet HS
AAU: Mac Irvin Fire
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 200 lbs
Quote:
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Originally Posted by ESPN
Evaluation
July, 2009: Sam Thompson has a great feel for the game. He plays with a tremendous vision on the floor and his mid-range game is off the charts. He catches the ball with strength on the perimeter and has a great series of footwork and one dribble moves. He takes the ball to the glass and scores with efficiency. The floater off the glass is a weapon he uses better than most in his class. He keeps getting better defending the ball and shows marked improvement off the ball defensively, his hands and quick feet allow him to get in the passing lanes to steal and lead the break. He can block shots when he is coming from the weakside. He has a little bit of a hitch in his outside shot but he is capable of hitting the deep three, opening up the drive for him.
April, 2009: Sam is a long, athletic wing with very good ball skills. He plays with good basketball I.Q. He's a good ball handler, capable of attacking with both hands off the dribble. He has a solid mid-range jump shot. He also displayed the ability to knockdown the 3 with collegiate range. Throughout the weekend (Boo Williams Invitational) Thompson proved to be a handful offensively. His size and length on the wing created match up problems for most. He easily made shots over smaller defenders. He stretched zones with his 3 ball. He was most impressive in transition when his athleticism was on display. He was smooth in transition, making great decisions and attacking the rim. Defensively, he was solid on the ball. He works to keep his man in front and uses his long arms to get wide to make it difficult for passes to get through. He's a good shot blocker from the wing position and a willing rebounder. Overall, Sam is a very good player with the potential to be a great player with the tools he possesses. He definitely needs to get physically stronger. If he adds a post game to his offense he could become an even more versatile player.
January, 2009: Thompson has a great deal of upside and potential and his best basketball will come in the future. He has very good athleticism and leaping ability which makes him a very good rebounder, especially on the offensive end. Thompson has to get significantly stronger in order to convert in traffic when he snags offensive boards. Increasing his strength will make him a better defender as well. Thompson likes to attack the rim off the dribble and has good body control when he can get into the paint. He has to continue to improve his ball-handling skills and his perimeter shooting range and accuracy as he matures.
December, 2008: Thompson is oozing with talent. He is an athletic wing that excels in transition. He can finish above the rim with good athletic ability. He is long, lean and very agile. He likes to attack the rim along the baseline. If he can't get all the way to the basket he will stop and pop into a sweet pull up jumper. Thompson has great body control around the basket and will excite you with his acrobatic finishes that include spins and twist of his body. Thompson can shoot the open three when he has time to study it but this is clearly an area his needs to improve to be an elite prospect. He also needs to be a more consistent rebound and utilize his quickness length and athletic ability. He has high major written all over him is he continues to develop.
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Scout $
10/10
By Evan Daniels...focused on Oregon State, Ohio State, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Miami and Virginia Tech...talks about his visit to
OSU where he was offered...was scheduled to also visit Florida and Oregon State in October.
11-02-2009, 03:26 PM
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