When he arrived for the spring semester at Georgetown in 2009, Hollis Thompson was a lanky, baby-faced, 6-foot-6 wing who looked almost out of place on the Hoyas’ bench. He had graduated early from high school and was as much a fan as he was the team’s next generation.
Nearly three years later, Thompson has added at least two inches, 10 pounds of defined muscle and a maturity and confidence on the court that make him stick out on a roster brimming with youthful 6-8 athletes.
If he looked out of place when he arrived because of his youth, he’s starting to do the same because his next logical destination is the NBA.
“Hollis is the same,” Hoyas coach John Thompson III likes to say, and in some sense, he’s accurate. Hollis Thompson, now a junior, still carries himself with a Southern California style unique on a team of mostly East Coast-bred players. Throughout his career, he never has met a jump shot he didn’t want to take.
But the transformation that has taken place was on display Monday as Thompson dictated Georgetown’s second-half demolition of IUPUI, using his length at the top of the Hoyas’ fullcourt press and leading the team with an efficient 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
“Hollis can shoot. He can really shoot,” John Thompson said. “But other parts of the game, be it defense, be it rebounding, I think his communication with his teammates is at a much higher level than it was in previous years. He is able to do everything on the court well, and now he just needs to continue to take pride in all aspects of the game.”
| Up next |
| Georgetown at No. 12 Alabama |
| When » Thursday, 9:30 p.m. |
| Where » Coleman Coliseum, |
| Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| TV » ESPN2 |
Although Thompson was sixth in the Big East last season in field goal percentage (.519) and possesses and ability to shoot from beyond the arc and create shots off the dribble, Thompson maintains his coach’s principle-infused language. In other words, he isn’t bothered that he hasn’t become more of a primary scoring option.
“Usually, offensively we do a pretty good job as a team of scoring,” Hollis Thompson said. “Because we do such a good job, I can find my baskets here and there, so I don’t worry about it too much.”
Thompson’s 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals against the Jaguars certainly pleased his coach. Meanwhile, his demeanor on the court continues to show freshmen Otto Porter and Greg Whittington — yes, both 6-8 — what they should aspire to be.
At the start of preseason, Thompson played down the influence of testing the NBA Draft waters last spring.
“I just got to see how pros go about it and how people expect pros to go about it,” Thompson said.
It’s no coincidence his approach with Georgetown has become that of a consummate professional.
