
Matt Williams
Arguably the most explosive leaper in all of college basketball, Sam Thompson once again provided plenty of highlight reel material for Thad Matta's Buckeyes during his junior year. Unfortunately, Thompson's production largely stagnated otherwise, as he wasn't able to step into a feature role and provide the scoring Ohio State desperately needed last year.
Standing 6'7 with a 6'8 wingspan, Thompson is not terribly long for a small forward, but he has good size and everything you look for in a wing prospect athletically. On top of his ability to play above the rim, he has tremendous speed in the open floor and terrific lateral quickness.
Offensively, Thompson used marginally more possessions as a junior than he did as a sophomore, but his scoring efficiency fell significantly. Ranking fifth on the team in the percentage of the team's possessions he used according to Synergy Sports Technology, Thompson's dip in overall efficiency stems from his regression as a jump shooter. After knocking down 41.5% of his perimeter attempts as a sophomore, he connected on just 31.3% as a junior as he shot at steady 38.1% in catch and shoot situations, but made just 2 of his 24 pull-up jumpers. As we noted the last time we evaluated Thompson at this time last year, he proved to be a limited shot creator, as his ability to create off the dribble and score from the midrange still leaves a lot to be desired.
When Thompson can find an opportunity to score around the rim, his athleticism is an obvious asset, but his 56.5% shooting as a finisher is only above average, as he appears out of control at times and sometimes struggles to convert when he can't dunk the ball, especially in a crowd.
Functioning as a complementary option offensively and seldom asked to create for himself, Ohio State's overall offensive struggles (128th ranked offense—KenPom) certainly didn't put Thompson, who is best suited to be a role-player alongside more prolific scorers, in great position to have a strong year. Thompson has one last chance to turn the corner on this end of the floor and emerge as a legitimate weapon as a senior on what figures to be a more balanced offensive team.
Thompson makes his best contributions defensively, where he is simply outstanding at times, combining the intensity that has become a staple of Thad Matta's program and the lateral quickness to defend multiple perimeter positions. He doesn't always get over screens quickly, is only an average rebounder, gets caught watching the ball, and needs to continue to get stronger, but the framework is there for Thompson to become a capable wing defender at the professional level over time.
Entering his final season of eligibility, Thompson, like other Ohio State seniors, is still trying to get traction as a NBA Draft candidate. His size, athleticism, and defensive potential are tantalizing, but he is still looking to show potential as a niche player offensively. Likely to get invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, if he can make strides as a shot creator or show a more consistent set shot, Thompson could figure into the 2015 NBA Draft when all is said and done.
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