It's Not Too Late - Get a 1-in-12 chance to win up to $1,600 with Fantasy Basketball Premium Games

The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Thompson's trophy case got much bigger after his stellar senior campaign, when he walked away Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. He garnered All-American and All-District III accolades, in addition to being named the United States Basketball Writers Association District II Player of the Year.

Thompson credits his emergence to work at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, attended by the best high school prospects in the nation and elite college players are selected as mentors.

Thompson honed his skills playing pickup games with All-Americans Drew Neitzel of Michigan State and Brook Lopez of Stanford, Scottie Reynolds of Villanova, Wesley Matthews of Marquette, Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut, Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis and JaJuan Smith of Tennessee, along with James himself.

After one outstanding game last summer, FoxSports.com reported, "Thompson's play was a shock to college coaches and NBA scouts in attendance. He wasted little time scoring over LeBron James and also was solid defensively on the NBA star."

Playing on both ends of the court is nothing new for Thompson. In 2006-07, he was one of just three collegiate players to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game -- only four other athletes accomplished that feat last season. As a senior, he registered at least 20 points with at least 20 rebounds in three games (vs. Delaware, 23 points/21 rebounds; at Siena, 23/21; vs. Niagra, 26/24).

At Lenape High School, Thompson averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game, leading head coach Bill Lange's squad to a 28-1 record when they captured their first ever Group IV state title. He was named second-team All-South Jersey and first-team All-State Group IV that year and was selected to play in the New Jersey North-South All-Star game. As a junior, he averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots per game.

Thompson appeared in 30 games as a true freshman at Rider University in 2004-05. He was named Freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com and garnered All-MAAC honors, in addition to making the league's All-Tournament and All-Rookie squads. He averaged 9.1 points per game, shooting 44.1 percent from the field, and averaged 7.4 rebounds and blocked 29 shots.

As a sophomore, he was a second-team All-MAAC choice. He led the team and ranked second in the conference with 48 blocks in 27 contests. He shot 54.6 percent from the field (159-of-291) and 70.3 percent from the free-throw line for 448 points, an average of 16.6 points per game. He pulled down 226 boards (8.4 per game) and dished out 43 assists.

In 2006-07, Thompson earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a second-team All-District III choice. He was a member of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-American squad as he emerged as a dominant force on both ends of the court. He averaged 20.1 points per game, making 221-of-425 field goals (52.0 percent) and 176-of-243 shots from the charity stripe. He grabbed 312 rebounds (10.1 per game), blocked 67 shots and handed out 65 assists.

As a senior, Thompson continued to rank with the nation's elite in both rebounds and scoring. He ranked second nationally with an average of 12.1 rebounds per game and was 29th in the NCAA in scoring with a 20.4-point average. He shot 56.0 percent from the field and placed 18th nationally with an average of 2.7 blocked shots per game.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Has the bulk to gain quality minutes at the "5" position, but is also agile and quick enough to develop into an all-star caliber "4" ... Has very good arm length, large hands and impressive strength ... His versatility will prove invaluable early in his career -- can come off the bench to provide scoring and a defensive threat ... Has the foot speed to get out and handle small forwards and shooting guards along the perimeter ... Shows very good quickness getting down the court and shows consistency on both ends of the floor ... Can execute the fast break or get back on defense to shorten the court ... Plays with a tireless work ethic, knowing how to stay within the team concept, and can bounce out and take shots from the perimeter, drive to the basket with force, drawing contact and also has the power to establish position under the basket for rebounds and putbacks ... Gym rat who lives to play ... As a senior, he improved his shooting range and could be capable of sinking NBA 3-pointers ... Also has the body control and mobility to cover smaller opponents in the high post ... Shows good versatility and fluid moves, with a strong inside-outside game and displays a soft touch in the post ... Can draw contact on drives to the basket, but shows the balance and nimble feet to fade away and fire up consistent mid-range jumpers ... Is still a work in progress from 3-point range, but can hit his jumper consistently from 12-to-15 feet out ... Knows how to get his shot off at the peak of his jump and can coast to the rim ... Has very good touch in the post and nifty spin moves operating in the pivot ... Crashes the boards with little regard for his body, using his timing, wingspan and elevation to grab a rebound or block shots ... More like a small forward with his ability to face the basket and take the bigger frontcourt men off the dribble ... Can score with his back to the basket, getting good elevation over the defenders with his baby hook or when setting his feet on the turnaround jumper ... Will not hesitate to bounce outside and execute a 3-point shot ... When facing up to the basket, he will attack the rim and has shown steady improvement in establishing position in the low post ... Proficient ball-handler for a player his size, having played guard before a late high school growth spurt, and has averaged two assists per game during his career ... Shows very good court vision and solid passing skills, along with the feet to be a capable performer in an up-tempo attack ... With his ball-handling skills, he does a nice job of putting the ball on the floor and scoring vs. a slower defender ... Uses his size and length well to defend on the low block and is generally in position to secure the post-entry passes around the basket ... Can handle the ball on the open floor ... Very good shot-blocker with the timing, patience and elevation to be a force in this area.

Negatives: Strong on both ends of the court, but needs to maintain his focus throughout, as he tends to "play down" to inferior competition but should dominate based on his scoring touch, defensive prowess and athleticism ... Has good lower-body strength to establish position under the rim, but will sometimes back off without giving much of a fight ... Shows good elevation and leaping skills going for the rebound, but if he were more aggressive trying to establish position, he would be more effective ... Good free-throw shooter his first three years, but seemed to drop his elbows too quickly as a senior, resulting in only a 58.1 percent success rate in 2007-08 (had a 70.5 percent average from the charity stripe his first three seasons) ... Shows good ball security, but takes the world on his shoulders and will get frustrated when his shots fail to connect ... Needs to smooth and refine his post game, as he does not always use his size, quickness and athleticism to his advantage ... When he gets pushed around in the low post, he will struggle with his touch ... Must be more alert to his surroundings, as he sometimes takes the smaller opponent for granted, failing to box out his man, especially when going for the offensive rebound ... Seems content to just play within the system and share the wealth with teammates rather than using his impressive skills to dominate ... Good defender in the post, when he's not passive, but he will give up position and is a bit of a liability when forced out of the paint to defend on the perimeter.

Compares To: CHRIS BOSH-Toronto ... Thompson lacks the focus and aggressiveness that Bosh possesses, but both have the athleticism to excel on both ends of the floor. It is Thompson's inconsistent focus that creates a wide scouting disparity. He should have been even more dominant at the college level in a conference where he was a man among boys. He needs to utilize his strength better to establish position in the paint and he backs away from contact too much in the post. He has very good mobility and agility for a big man and can play the "5" in an up-tempo attack, but with his ability to run the floor and face the basket, power forward looks like the ideal spot for his game.

CAREER NOTES:

Appeared in 122 games for Rider University, logging 3,922 minutes of action ... Scored 2,040 points (16.7 per game) on 759-of-1,443 field goals (52.6 percent), as he made 29.1 percent of his 3-point attempts (30-of-103) and connected on 492-of-738 free throws (66.7 percent) ... Snared 1,171 rebounds (9.6 per game) and blocked 235 shots (1.9 per game) ... Credited with 246 assists (2.0 per game) and 104 steals (0.9 per game) ... Holds the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and school record with 55 double-double performances in 122 contests and in 2007-08, he became the first college player in 12 years to score at least 20 points and grab 20 rebounds in three games in one season ... His 2,040 points scored rank third in school annals behind Darrick Suber (2,219 points, 1990-93), and Jerry Johnson (2,047 points, 2002-05) ... Holds the school all-time record with 1,171 rebounds, shattering the previous mark of 874 boards by Chuck Simon (1974-77) ... Only player in MAAC history to score over 2,000 points and grab over 1,000 rebounds in a career ... Scored 694 points in 2007-08, topping the old Rider record of 665 points by Darrick Suber (1992-93) ... His 275 field goals that year broke the previous school annual record of 247 by Alberto Baptiste (1979-80) ... His 412 rebounds in 2007-08 bettered the previous season record of 328 by Steve Jefferson (1971-72) ... Only player in school history to grab 20 or more rebounds in a game more than once in a career, accomplishing that feat four times, including three times as a senior ... His 24 rebounds vs. Siena (2/10/08) broke his previous single-game record of 21, set earlier in the 2007 campaign vs. Delaware (11/17/07) and Siena (2/02/08). The record before was 20, held by several players (done first by Steve Jefferson vs. La Salle in 1970-71) ... Only Darren Phillip of Fairfield (25 vs. Marist, 1/05/00) had more rebounds in a game in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history ... Blocked seven shots in back-to-back games vs. Delaware and Fairleigh Dickinson in 2007, setting a school record ... Only Nakiea Miller of Iona (11 vs. Fairfield, 3/05/2000) had more blocked shots in a game in MAAC annals.

2007-08 SEASON

All-American first-team selection by The NBA Draft Report and CollegeInsider.com, earning honorable mention from the Associated Press ... All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference first-team choice, as he was named the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards ... Recipient of the Gil Rossi Award for the third-straight season, given to the team's MVP ... Named United States Basketball Writers Association District II Player of the Year ... Added NABC All-District III first-team honors ... Started all 34 contests at power forward, scoring in double figures in every contest ... Also produced 25 double-doubles ... Led the team and ranked 29th in the nation with a school record 694 points (20.4 per game), as he connected on 275-of-491 two-point field goals (56.0 percent), 11-of-34 3-pointers (32.4 percent) and 133-of-229 free throws (58.1 percent) in 1,177 minutes of action ... Ranked second in the nation, averaging 12.1 rebounds per game (school record total of 412 boards) ... Collected 93 assists (2.7 per game) and 36 steals (1.1 per game) ... Ranked 18th nationally and led the league with a career-high 91 blocked shots (2.7 per game) ... Had 99 turnovers and 100 personal fouls.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

For the second time in school history, a Rider player tallied 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, as Thompson grabbed 21 boards, blocked seven shots and added 23 points vs. Delaware ... Followed with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists while again blocking seven shots vs. Fairleigh Dickinson ... added 24 points, three assists and 15 rebounds vs. North Carolina State ... Produced 21 points, three blocks and ten boards in the Penn State clash ... In the Kansas State clash, Thompson held fellow All-American forward Michael Beasley to 13 points, as the Rider player poured in 24 of his own, blocked four Beasley shots and grabbed seven rebounds while also forcing Beasley into a pair of turnovers ... Had a string of five-straight 20+ scoring games snapped, but managed 17 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and six assists vs. New Jersey Institute of Technology ... Had 10 boards and 25 points vs. Niagara and another 25 points with 13 rebounds the next contest vs. Canisius ... Added four assists, 21 points and eight boards vs. Drexel and came up with 11 rebounds, four assists and 26 points vs. Marist ... Made all 10 of his free throw tries while scoring 18 points and hauling down 15 boards vs. Canisius (second meeting) ... Totaled 17 rebounds and 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, as he also blocked two shots and dished out four assists vs. Loyola ... Punched in 20 points with ten rebounds vs. Manhattan and had 20 points and nine boards in Rider's second meeting vs. Marist ... Made 11-of-17 field goals for 23 points and grabbed 21 rebounds while coming up with five assists in a February match-up vs. Siena ... Two games later, he pulled down 24 rebounds, had three assists, blocked five shots and scored 26 points vs. Siena ... Added 20 points vs. Fairfield and 24 points with ten boards vs. Loyola ... Connected on 13-of-18 field goals for a season-high 33 points, as he also had three blocks, two steals, three assists and 12 rebounds vs. St. Peter's ... With the line of NBA scouts making the journey to the Rider University campus turning from a trickle to a wave, more than a dozen saw Thompson make 12-of-19 field goals, score 32 points and snatch 18 rebounds in a March confrontation vs. Marist ... Followed with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, as he blocked two shots and made 12 boards vs. Siena ... Closed out his career with his 25th double-double for the season, scoring 15 points while collecting 17 rebounds, blocking three shots and adding three assists vs. Old Dominion ... "Those numbers are unbelievable," said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey about Thompson's performance as a senior. "Those are as good a numbers as I think I've seen on a stat sheet. Jason shows up in big games and does everything he could to will his team to victory."

2006-07 SEASON

CollegeInside.com Mid-Major All-American, adding All-MAAC first-team honors, in addition to being selected the league's Defensive Player of the Year ... Second-team All-District III choice ... Recipient of the Gil Rossi Award, given to the team's MVP ... One of just three players in college basketball to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds for the 2006-07season (other two being Kevin Durant of Texas and Nick Fazekas of Nevada) ... Compiled 17 double-double performances, scoring 624 points (20.1 ppg, ranking 24th in the NCAA) on 221-of-425 shooting (52.0 percent), as he made 6-of-22 3-point shots ... Successful on 176-of-243 free throws (72.4 percent) ... Averaged 10.1 rebounds per game (312 total), ranking 10th in the nation ... Blocked 67 shots (2.2 per game), ranking 34th nationally in that category ... Handed out 65 assists (2.1 per game) and generated 23 steals (0.7 per game) ... Compiled 35 points and 20 rebounds in the College of Charleston Holiday Classic to earn All-Tournament Team honors ... Became the first player in school history to produce a 20/20 game, as he had 20 boards and 23 points vs. Manhattan (2/09/07).

2005-06 SEASON

All-MAAC second-team selection ... Ranked second in the league with 48 blocked shots and placed fourth in the MAAC with 226 rebounds (8.4 per game) ... Played in 27 games, scoring 448 points (16.6 per game) on 159-of-291 field goals (54.6 percent), making 7-of-21 3-point shots and 123-of-175 attempts (70.3 percent) from the free-throw line, logging 858 minutes of action ... Had 43 assists and 24 steals ... Left the Loyola clash (2/24/06) after just seven minutes due to a concussion ... Scored in double figures in 24 contests and produced eight double-double performances ... Scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half, including the winning points, finishing with nine rebounds vs. Long Island University ... Returned from his concussion to compile 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a 2006 MAAC playoff game vs. St. Peter's.

2004-05 SEASON

Freshman All-American selection by CollegeInsider.com ... All-MAAC Rookie Team and All-Tournament team choice ... Appeared in 30 games for the Broncs, scoring 274 points (9.1 per game) while making 44.1 percent of his field goals (104-of-236), 6-of-26 3-point tries and hitting on 65.9 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe (60-of-91) ... Grabbed 221 rebounds (7.4 per game), as he doled out 45 assists (1.5 per game) and 21 steals (0.7 per game) ... Also blocked 29 shots ... Scored in double figures 14 times and registered five double-double performances.

INJURY REPORT

2005-06 SEASON

: Missed most of the Loyola College (2/24/06) game with a concussion.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Lenape (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) High School ... Averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game, leading head coach Bill Lange's squad to a 28-1 record, as they captured their first ever Group IV state title ... Named second-team All-South Jersey and first-team All-State Group IV that year and was selected to play in the New Jersey North-South All-Star game ... As a junior, he averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots per game.

PERSONAL

Communications major ... Younger brother, Ryan, is a teammate and guard on the Rider University basketball team (2006-present) and joined Jason on the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-American team last season ... Born 7/21/86 ... Resides in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.