Blue-chip guard Thompson visiting KU; Grimes chooses Houston as transfer destination
Bryce Thompson, the top-rated high school basketball player in the state of Oklahoma in the Class of 2020 and No. 18-ranked player nationally by Rivals.com, arrived on Kansas’ campus Thursday for a recruiting visit.
Thompson, a 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Tulsa’s Washington High, posted the word “Lawrence” on Twitter on Thursday morning, indicating his arrival.
Thompson made an unofficial visit to North Carolina last week. He’s also considering Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Houston, Colorado, Michigan State, DePaul and others. This KU visit is also believed to be an unofficial visit.
Thompson averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds his junior season in leading Washington High to Oklahoma’s Class 6A state title. He was named Oklahoma’s 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year.
“Bryce is very deserving,” Washington coach Conley Phipps II told the Tulsa World last March after the Gatorade announcement. “In my 29 years of coaching, I’ve been blessed to coach many great players and he is one of those guys. He’s very special. There’s no doubt he can be a great player at the Division I level.
“He had an unbelievable season. He’s a high-character kid and a team-first guy who wants to win.”
Thompson’s dad, Rod Thompson, played for KU coach Bill Self and KU assistant Norm Roberts his senior season at Tulsa. Rod attended Self’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2017 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Bryce Thompson recently was named to the 12-player all-NBPA Top 100 camp team.
“Thompson has been one of the biggest stock risers of the spring and summer and further proved himself on a national stage this week,” writes a three-person panel of Evan Daniels, Brian Snow and Josh Gershon of 247sports.com.
“The five-star prospect can score almost any which way on offense, while his handle and vision allow him to take opponents off the dribble and create for teammates. Thompson’s shooting ability stretches to three but he has a midrange game and impressive finishing package around the basket as well.”
Grimes picks Houston
Former KU guard Quentin Grimes on Thursday afternoon announced plans to transfer to Houston. He made the announcement on Twitter. He chose the Cougars over Texas A&M. Grimes, a 6-foot-5 native of The Woodlands, Texas, who averaged 8.4 points a game in 2018-19, has visited both Texas A&M and Houston. He announced plans to leave KU after one season after withdrawing from the NBA Draft on May 29.
Frankamp to play summer league
Wichita State graduate Conner Frankamp, who played at Kansas his freshman season (2013-14), has reached an agreement to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the California Classic from July 1-3 in Sacramento and then the NBA Summer League from July 5-15 in Las Vegas, the Wichita Eagle reports.
Frankamp told the Eagle that has signed a contract for the 2019-20 season with the Rethymno Cretan Kings in Greece. That season runs from October to May. Generally players are allowed out of their overseas contracts in an event they make the roster of an NBA team.
The combo guard averaged 19.4 points a game on 49 percent three-point shooting for a team in Bulgaria last season.
Late Night date set
KU’s annual Late Night in the Phog will be held Friday, Oct. 4, the athletic department announced Thursday. This will be the event’s 35th anniversary.
Other details regarding the season-opening kickoff will be made available a later date.
This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Blue-chip guard Thompson visiting KU; Grimes chooses Houston as transfer destination."