Close Menu
The Daily Hoosier
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • IU football recruiting: Hoosiers get commitment from 3-star DL Cameron McHaney
    • IU basketball announces full 2025-26 nonconference schedule
    • IU basketball recruiting: Hoosiers offer 2026 7-footer Marcis Ponder
    • IU football notebook: Reps for Big Ten media day named, Ponds gets first round projection
    • Assistant coaches on the mic: IU basketball’s Kenny Johnson and Nick Norton
    • Short-tenured IU basketball center Luke Fischer joins 2025 Assembly Ball TBT squad
    • IU baseball’s Devin Taylor honored as All-American by every major outlet
    • West Virginia AD debunks silly conspiracy theories about Darian DeVries’ departure
    • Sign Up
    • About/Support
    • Jobs
    • Tickets
      • IUBB Tickets (Stubhub)
      • IUFB Tickets (Stubhub)
    • Shop
      • Official IU Store
      • IU Adidas Store
      • Amazon: Support TDH
      • IU Memorabilia
      • IU Press (Books)
      • The Daily Hoosier T-Shirt
    • Radio/Podcasts
      • East 17th Street
    • Pro IU
      • IUBB NBA
      • IUFB NFL
      • IUBASE MLB
    • Forum
      • Disqus Forum
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    The Daily HoosierThe Daily Hoosier
    Tuesday, July 1
    • IU Basketball
      • Latest IU Basketball News
      • 2025-26 IU Basketball Roster
      • DeVries’ new staff
      • Future Schedules
      • Scholarship Chart
      • Big Ten Coming and Going
      • IU Basketball 2024-25 Schedule
      • 2024-25 Big Ten Standings
      • 24-25 IU Basketball Stats
      • Rankings & Bracketology
      • IU Basketball Media Guide
    • IU Football
      • Latest IU Football News
      • Roster updates by position
      • 2025 scholarship tracker
      • 2025 Schedule
      • Current roster
      • Curt Cignetti’s staff
      • Future opponents through 2032
      • 2024 B1G Standings
      • 2024 IUFB Stats
      • IU Football 2024 Record Book
    • IU Recruiting
      • IU Basketball Recruiting News
      • IU Football Recruiting News
      • IUBB 2026-28 Prospects
      • Recruit Interviews
      • Recruit Highlights
      • IU Football Recruiting Commits
    • IU Women’s Basketball
      • IU Women’s Basketball News
      • 24-25 Schedule
      • Big Ten Standings
    • IU Men’s Soccer
      • 2024 Schedule
      • Indiana Men’s Soccer: Program History
    • More Hoosiers
      • Fan and Business NIL options
      • IU Baseball
        • Baseball Schedule
        • Statistics
        • Big Ten Standings
      • IU Swim & Dive
      • IU Olympic Results
    • Hoosier History
      • March Madness Classics
      • Basketball History
      • Football History
    The Daily Hoosier

    Race Thompson says a sixth year at Indiana is still a possibility

    Mike SchumannBy Mike SchumannMarch 9, 2022 IU Basketball 20 Comments
    BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 17, 2021 - forward Race Thompson #25 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the game between the St. Johns Red Storm and the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Andrew Mascharka/Indiana Athletics
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    A week ago Race Thompson stood on the Branch McCracken Court next to his parents and a framed No. 25 jersey.

    He struggled to get through an emotional Senior Night speech in front of his teammates and the fans who remained after a difficult loss to Rutgers.

    The moment had all the hallmarks of a goodbye, one that has played had for decades on Senior Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

    But like all six seniors on the IU roster, Thompson still has a year of eligibility remaining due to the extra year granted by the NCAA in connection with the pandemic.  So was that moment in fact a goodbye?  The Minnesota product isn’t ready to say that.

    “I haven’t made any decision yet if I’m leaving or if I’m coming back,” Thompson said on Tuesday as Indiana prepares for the Big Ten Tournament. “Either-or, it’s up in the air.”

    The 6-foot-8 Thompson was the first recruit to commit to play for Archie Miller in 2017.  He’s the last holdover from the 2017-18 team, the elder statesman in the program.  If he chooses to play another year of college basketball, it will be his sixth season at this level including a pre-planned redshirt true freshman year.

    Each year Thompson’s production has improved in a stair-step fashion in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals and field goal percentage.  Thompson suffered a major concussion that disrupted his 2018-19 campaign, he began seeing a larger role the following season, and he has started every game over the last two years.

    Named honorable mention All-Big Ten on Tuesday, Thompson is tied this season for second on the team in scoring (11.8), and he is second in rebounding (7.9), steals (32), blocks (21) and FG percentage (55.6%).

    While not thought of as a perimeter shooter, Thompson has made 9-of-21 (42.8 percent) from three over the last 11 games.

    Just as important, he has evolved into a locker room leader.

    “He’s really the glue to our team,” his four-year teammate Rob Phinisee said last week.

    “He keeps everybody together.  He’s level-headed.  He’s a leader.  He’s been here, this is his fifth year, so he’s been through it all and he’s just a huge part of our team.”

    Thompson has options for the 2022-23 season.  In addition to coming back to Indiana, he could transfer to another school, or choose to get on with his professional life — which may include playing basketball overseas.

    But surely the fact that he went through Senior Night ceremonies, and all of that emotion you saw when he stepped up to the microphone and struggled to find words, surely that meant his plans for next year don’t include Indiana.  Right?

    Thompson says that was all more about the intensity of the moment than an indication of what is to come.

    “I was emotional because I’m in the unknown,” Thompson said.  “Coming off an emotional game (against Rutgers), the feelings I had towards my teammates, towards my managers, towards my coaches, towards the fans is really — if that was my last game in Assembly Hall, it was definitely an emotional one.”

    “But again, it’s very possible I could be coming back. Again, it’s just really up in the air.”


    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

    • Find us on Facebook:  thedailyhoosier
    • You can follow us on Twitter:  @daily_hoosier
    • Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.

    Related

    indiana hoosiers race thompson
    Mike Schumann

    Keep Reading

    IU basketball announces full 2025-26 nonconference schedule

    Assistant coaches on the mic: IU basketball’s Kenny Johnson and Nick Norton

    Short-tenured IU basketball center Luke Fischer joins 2025 Assembly Ball TBT squad

    Latest Hoosier News
    • IU football recruiting: Hoosiers get commitment from 3-star DL Cameron McHaney
    • IU basketball announces full 2025-26 nonconference schedule
    • IU basketball recruiting: Hoosiers offer 2026 7-footer Marcis Ponder
    • IU football notebook: Reps for Big Ten media day named, Ponds gets first round projection
    • Assistant coaches on the mic: IU basketball’s Kenny Johnson and Nick Norton
    • Short-tenured IU basketball center Luke Fischer joins 2025 Assembly Ball TBT squad
    • IU baseball’s Devin Taylor honored as All-American by every major outlet
    Sign Up



    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    © 2025 The Daily Hoosier, LLC.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.