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FROSH PROFILE: TRISTAN THOMPSON

Rob Harrington
robharrington@prepstars.com
February 3, 2011

Texas is one of the hottest teams in the nation, carrying a perfect 7-0 record in Big 12 play, including a victory at Kansas. The Longhorns aren’t exactly a veteran team, either, as two of the club’s top four scorers are freshmen. The most productive thus far has been big man Tristan Thompson, a strong and skilled insider who has scored efficiently throughout the season.

Through 22 games, Thompson is averaging 12.8 points per game (second on the team) and tied for the rebounding lead at 7.5 boards per contest. At 52 percent from the floor, he’s hardly had to toss up a lot of shots to get his points. Defensively, he’s swatting away more than two shots per game. He’s also playing more than 30 minutes per night, a test of his conditioning and one that he has succeeded in handling thus far.

Nothing about Thompson’s play has been surprising. He was a consensus top-10 prospect out of high school, where he consistently matched or exceeded the production of other blue-chip big men in head to head matchups.

The one major chink in the armor is his free throw stroke. Thompson is hitting only 49 percent from the foul line, making him a potential liability late in games if the ‘Horns are attempting to hold a lead.