By Michael McAllister
Stephen Thompson Jr is a 6'1" guard prospect in the 2015 class from California. He is the son of former Syracuse great Stevie Thompson, who played for the Orange from 1987 through 1990. Thompson Jr was an unknown prospect until he caught the eyes of scouts at last weekend's Adidas VIP tournament. We spoke with his AAU (Dream Vision) coach Don Small to learn more about what type of prospect he is.
Nation of Orange: Coach let’s get one thing straight right off the bat. Every place I’ve seen him mentioned, he’s listed as Stephen Thompson Jr. Does he go by Stephen or do you guys call him Stevie like his dad?
Don Small: They’re just printing his proper name. He still goes by Stevie. We all call him Stevie.
Nation of Orange: Tell us about Stevie off the court. What type of kid is he?
Don Small: Stevie’s a normal kid, very well mannered. Very good upbringing. He’s a funny kid. He cracks jokes behind the scene, not in front of the adults but with the kids. The kids tell me he’s real, real funny.
Nation of Orange: How about Stevie on the court? What type of player is he?
Don Small: He’s a great shooter. He’s the opposite of his father. I know his father was a slasher/scorer and a mid-range guy. But he’s a long-range shooter. He can put the ball on the floor but his basketball IQ is what helps him the most. He’s a real smart player.
Nation of Orange: His dad was also known for being extremely athletic, and jumping out of the gym. How is Stevie athletically?
Don Small: His athleticism is good, but it’s not quite that of his father’s. Maybe he’ll be a late bloomer, because Stevie Thompson Sr. didn’t really get his until his junior year. So that’s what we’re hoping.
Nation of Orange: What about defensively? What kind of defender is Stevie Jr.?
Don Small: He’s a very good defender at 6’1”. He’s very rangy, can stay in front of his man. He’s a physical presence on the defensive end as well. He didn’t have any issues this past weekend.
Nation of Orange: Do you guys play man to man primarily or do you play any zone?
Don Small: We don’t play any zone, but we can play zone. The reason we don’t is because most of their high schools play man the majority of the time.
Nation of Orange: Stephen played well at the Adidas VIP tournament which has created a little buzz around him. What was his reaction to the extra attention?
Don Small: He was very excited about it. As soon as I saw the stuff, you know because they forward it to me first, I told him about it. He handled it pretty well. His parents were really excited. Usually he doesn’t get that kind of press, that kind of ink. He’s not the type of kid that’s going to get a big head from it. He’s very mild-tempered. He’ll smile and grin about it, but he really won’t talk about it.
Nation of Orange: Has the extra attention he’s received from last weekend drawn any extra inquiries from schools?
Don Small: I haven’t heard about Syracuse to see if they’ve contacted him yet. I’m going to talk to his dad about that to see if they have. But we have gotten some, from UMass, Arizona, UTEP, Arizona State, Washington, and San Diego State. All those guys we got calls about Stephen and the other two guards that play on the team with him.
Nation of Orange: Did they call just to express interest, or were there any offers made to Stevie?
Don Small: Just called to express interest right now.
Nation of Orange: How do you think Syracuse fits given his dad’s history with the program?
Don Small: Me and Stephen Sr. have not had that conversation. But knowing how involved he still is with the program, it wouldn’t shock me, I’ll say that.
Nation of Orange: What type of system is the best fit for Stephen? A fast paced, up-tempo style? A slow it down, methodical style? Or can he fit into either?
Don Small: Stevie can play either, because his high school is a set-oriented offense where he can get good shots especially coming off screens. He’s very good at that. Also, he can drive, and we run our five-out and four-out offense, where he can drive and get in the lane. Even pull up and hit jumpers. He’s also very good at the catch and shoot. Stevie’s a very versatile player.
Nation of Orange: Any final thoughts on Stephen you’d like people to know?
Don Small: The last report I got, Stevie was a 4.0 GPA guy. I don’t know what he has this last semester, but the last one I got from the beginning of the year, he’s a 4.0 guy.
