UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class could look a lot like this
Bryce Thompson
One of the fastest rising prospects in the nation is Bryce Thompson, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound combo guard out of Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks to a tremendous junior season, the talented wing is getting a lot of attention from coaches and scouts, alike, and he’s soaring up recruiting boards in the process.
Thompson was the No. 70 overall prospect in January according to the 247Sports Composite, but has moved up 50 spots to No. 20 in the site’s updated list that was released in early July. Now, he holds more than a dozen scholarship offers from some of the biggest names in college basketball. Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M have all targeted Thompson, and that list will continue to grow as time goes on.
Equipped with good size and length for his position, Thompson is a good ball handler with a terrific offensive game that allows him to score from all over the court. He can run the break, create his own shot in the half court and knock down jumpers from behind the three-point line with consistency.
He’s also a good passer, gets his teammates involved in the offense and plays tenacious defense on the opposite end of the court. His wiry frame and basketball savvy will help him guard multiple positions at the collegiate level. And given the improvement he’s made over the past season, he’s not even close to reaching his full potential.
The good news for North Carolina? The Tar Heels may have a leg up on the competition when it comes to Thompson’s recruitment.
Thompson’s father played under then-Tulsa head coach Steve Robinson in the mid-90’s. Robinson is now, of course, an assistant coach at UNC, and heading up the Thompson recruitment. That relationship has given the Tar Heels an “in” that most programs don’t have with Thompson, though the Jayhawks’ Bill Self did coach the eldest Thompson for one season at Tulsa after taking over for Robinson in 1997.
Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans talked about the Bryce Thompson recruitment back in May, stating that the Tar Heels might be the team to beat if they go all-in on the 4-star guard. He did, however, note that Kansas has a good shot, too, along with a host of regional schools and the potential dark horse of the group, Tennessee.
"“. . . if I were to forecast the future for Thompson, UNC would be difficult to beat if it was to make a hard push,” Evans said. “Assistant coach Steve Robinson coached Thompson’s father at Tulsa during his own playing days, giving the Tar Heels an immediate ‘in,’ which is only aided by the program’s need for another guard after the likely one-and-done campaign of Cole Anthony. Kansas is another contender, however, as Bill Self also coached Thompson’s father for one year and the program was the first blue blood to jump into the picture over a year ago. The regional schools definitely have a chance and Tennessee is a dark horse, thanks to the recent hiring of Kim English, who developed a strong rapport with the family when he was on Colorado’s staff. The suitors are not in short supply, but if the Tar Heels follow up their offer with priority attention, Chapel Hill might be where Thompson eventually lands.”"
Thompson’s 247Sports Crystal Ball indicates that Oklahoma may also play a major role in his recruitment, too, as the Sooners have picked up two recent predictions and currently lead with 50 percent of votes.
There’s still a lot of time left in Thompson’s recruitment, and anything could happen. Look for the Tar Heels to put on the full-court press for Thompson, though, as the Tar Heels attempt to pry the Oklahoma native away from the Sooners and Jayhawks, as well as the rest of the Midwest.