Former Kansas basketball player Bryce Thompson is staying in the Big 12 Conference.
Thompson, a former five-star prospect from Tulsa, Okla., who played his freshman season at KU, chose Oklahoma State over Oklahoma and new head coach Porter Moser and Frank Haith’s Tulsa program, illustrating a strong desire to stay close to home for his second stint of college basketball.
However, [according to SI.com’s Jason Jordan,][1] there was more to it than just staying close to home.
“I really trust (OSU) coach [Mike] Boynton,” Thompson told Jordan. “He did a great job of recruiting me and making it known that he wanted me and that I could make an impact. This was the most comfortable spot for me, and it’s the best decision.”
The Cowboys were on Thompson’s list of finalists when he chose Kansas during his senior season at Booker T. Washington High.
Thompson also told Jordan that OSU’s style of play was a factor in his decision.
“It’s one thing for a coach to say that they like to play fast and shoot threes,” he told Jordan. “But I witnessed it firsthand when we played them this year,” Thompson says.
Thompson finished his injury-plagued freshman season at Kansas averaging 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game and shot 35.3% from the field.
The former McDonald’s All-American is the second former Jayhawk to transfer within the conference this offseason. Tristan Enaruna landed at Iowa State earlier this spring. Both players will be eligible to play immediately thanks to the NCAA’s new one-time transfer exemption rule that was recently passed.
That means the Jayhawks will face off with Thompson and Enaruna at least twice during the 2021-22 season.
Fellow-former Jayhawks Tyon Grant-Foster, Latrell Jossell and Gethro Muscadin also left the KU program this offseason, transferring to DePaul, Stephen F. Austin and New Mexico, respectively.
[1]: https://www.si.com/college/2021/05/13/bryce-thompson-transfer-oklahoma-state
