At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from the Carolinas went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today's edition will highlight AJ Thompson of Northwestern High School.
We've seen Thompson excel in every possible setting, including at our most recent Top 80, where we stated, 'Starting things off, we look at a player that simply knows how to successfully run a team on either side of the ball, AJ Thompson. He's a smart, quick, heady point guard prospect with an excellent balance between scoring and playmaking. Thompson is great in the open floor but also more than comfortable within the half-court setting, where he often highlights a strong change of pace. He's a reliable defender with the necessary combination of quickness, positioning, and anticipation to force plenty of turnovers. Next in his development process is working on his consistency as a shooter off the dribble, as it would make him tougher for opponents to contain. Coach Rice on Thompson: 'AJ is a tough pick-and-roll player. He can create shots for himself and his teammates. AJ knocks down open jumpers and plays with a good pace to his game. He scores on all three levels and defends his position effectively on the other end.' Thompson enjoyed a quality showing at camp and should be able to draw the attention of college coaches throughout his upcoming senior season at Northwestern.'
Since his emergence as a leader during his junior season, Thompson has been a true model of consistency for Northwestern. He's a smart, tough, heady two-way point guard with a quality balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. Thompson is simply a reliable floor general with an understanding of how to run a team while being a defensive pest. This past season, he posted nightly averages of 15.4 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG while constantly adapting to his surrounding teammates. It's difficult to try and make sense of his overall recruitment, as Thompson should have a variety of programs vying for his services. Though the landscape is different than usual, the combination of his abilities, academics, and Coach Bramlett’s constant communication with coaches, Thompson should have ample opportunities to further his playing career. Simply put, he will be a useful addition at the next level.