Bryce Thompson's Journey To Oklahoma State

Growing up as a kid, all Bryce Thompson knew was basketball.

Sure, he played football growing up, but basketball was always the first love.

A lot of his earliest memories all include basketball, from getting up early to practice to watching film of his dad play. Thompson grew up surrounded by basketball and learned from a young age to love the sport, appreciating basketball for all its glory.

Thompson grew up in Tulsa, Okla., and worked tirelessly to achieve his goal of playing Division 1 basketball. He understood that if he kept working hard to achieve his goals, he could turn his dreams into reality.

"From an early age, it would have to be getting up early with my dad in the morning," Thompson said of his earliest basketball memories. "It was 5 a.m., I was in middle school, and we'd get up around five times a week and go to the gym at 5 a.m. every day, just working. I think that's where I understood how important the hard work was."

Throughout middle school, Thompson played club basketball in the AAU circuit, and that's when he learned where his potential could land him one day at the collegiate level.

"I'd say around eighth grade, eighth to seventh grade is when I started getting good," Thompson said. "I also started to fill out, I was a little taller than everybody. I was a good shooter back then, so I was able to knock it down and my dad was keeping me in the gym. So, I was able to figure out that if everything went right and I stayed healthy I could be a D-1 basketball player."

Following middle school, Thompson went to high school at Booker T. Washington, where he was a standout player for the Hornets. Thompson quickly attracted the attention of colleges and received several offers his freshman year from notable programs such as Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

"It was very rewarding, like a breath of fresh air, to know that all the hard work had paid off," Thompson said. "Just to get that call, that offer, that means so much. Especially when you're a freshman, because you have four years left, because you're thinking if I'm getting something now then it's only going to keep going."

After graduating from Booker T. with McDonald's All-America honors, Thompson took his talents to Kansas to play for Oklahoma State alumnus Bill Self. There, he saw action in 20 games with four starts while averaging 17.1 minutes and 4.6 points per game.

However, after one year in Kansas, Thompson decided to enter the transfer portal.

"It had a good impact, I mean it wasn't the best situation for me at the time, which is why I transferred," Thompson said. "But I'm still grateful for the opportunity, grateful for everybody that helped me in Kansas. They helped me get to where I'm at, even though I'm not necessarily there, I'm always thankful for the journey and how I ended up."

As a former McDonald's All-American and a five-star recruit, Thompson was sought after by numerous Division 1 schools after entering the transfer portal. However, he knew there was something special building in Gallagher-Iba Arena, and he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

"It was great to know that schools still wanted me, specifically coach Mike [Boynton]," Thompson said. "I had played OSU one time, and I saw their play style and I knew that I would be able to fit in and be able to come in and make an impact, and I think that's why I chose Oklahoma State."

And fit in he has. Through 16 games, Thompson has earned 12 starts while averaging 24.3 minutes and 9.3 points per game. He's reached double-figures in scoring each of the past three games and made his last eight free throws.

Most importantly, transferring to OSU meant that Thompson was closer to his hometown, and closer to his family. Thompson's dad, Rod Thompson, was a former collegiate basketball player at Tulsa, and played an instrumental role in shaping his son Bryce into who he is today.

Without his dad, Bryce wouldn't be where he is right now, enjoying playing Division 1 basketball at Oklahoma State.

"He's had a tremendous impact, he's the reason I'm here today," Thompson said. "He put the ball in my hands, he taught me all the fundamentals of the game, especially all the stuff off the court. How to treat people, how to work, all the little things. He's done a fantastic job of building and molding me."

With the support of his family and friends, Thompson made an immediate impact in Stillwater for the Cowboy squad.

"It definitely felt like this is where I'm supposed to be, this is home," Thompson said. "This is where I can be successful."

That success became most evident five days ago at the backend of a unique trip for OSU.

Fresh off the back of two-consecutive road games to open last week, Thompson and the Cowboys traveled to Waco to take on No. 1 Baylor this past Saturday to round out a trip of more than 3,000 miles in just five days.

Thompson, and his teammates, embraced the challenge as he helped lead the Cowboys to their first road win over the top-ranked team in the country in program history when he scored 19 points, including two clutch free throws with 16 seconds left to close the game.

"It really doesn't get any better than that you know, on ESPN, number one team, at their place, it was just great," Thompson said. "I'm definitely blessed, I'm thankful and it was just a lot of hard work paying off. I haven't shot the ball as well as I'd like to here as of late, but you know I just kept working, kept a positive attitude and it worked out for me."

Fast-forward to today and the Cowboys are coming off back-to-back wins against Baylor and TCU. Looking ahead, Thompson and the rest of his teammates have high aspirations as they head into the remainder of Big 12 play.

"I'm looking to build off last game [the Baylor game] and just keep my rhythm going and continue to make the right play," Thompson said. "I really want to win. I really do not like losing, and I think when we play together, when we get the ball out, we're unstoppable. I mean, we beat the number one team [Baylor], so I think just knowing that we did that can show our potential. But it means nothing if we don't continue it and keep it going."

Thompson and the Cowboys will be back in action this Saturday, in Austin, Texas, when they take on No. 23 Texas at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

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Bryce Thompson

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