Offseason Skill Development Top Priority For Indiana's Race Thompson

Race Thompson has been a force in the paint at Indiana, but he's aiming to improve his outside shot this offseason ahead of his sixth season as a Hoosier. Thompson talked with the media on Thursday about his offseason goals.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Race Thompson knows his bread and butter is posting up defenders in the paint. 

It's why he's started Indiana's last 62 games, been a team captain the last two seasons, an All-Big Ten honorable mention and a fan favorite. It's also why he's improved every year across five seasons at Indiana, leaping from 0.7 points and 2.1 rebounds as a freshman to 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior. But as his sixth and final season approaches, Thompson is aiming to take his game to the next level.

"I think I've set a footprint," Thompson said. "Hopefully I can make another couple footprints this coming year.

That starts with more consistent outside shooting. Playing alongside the paint-oriented Trayce Jackson-Davis, Thompson adding an outside dimension to his game would open the lane for Jackson-Davis and space the Hoosiers out as a whole. 

The Plymouth, Minn. native took a redshirt year when he first joined Indiana, and he made just 6-of-28 3-point attempts in his first three seasons. Thompson being a non-threat from 3 didn't make him less valuable to Indiana – he still averaged 9.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game during the 2020-2021 season with gritty defense and traits of the stereotypical "glue guy." But last season, Thompson began to step beyond the 3-point line consistently for the first time in his collegiate career.

He nearly doubled his attempts during the 2021-2022 season, connecting on 15-of-55 shots from 3. While his 27.3 3-point percentage is considered below average, Thompson is hoping a few mechanical tweaks and improved confidence to let it fly will lead to better results.

For Thompson, improving his shot-making starts with what he does before the ball even reaches his fingertips. He's worked on shot preparation, which means positioning his hand behind the ball as the pass comes his way and being ready to shoot when his teammates find him. And when he catches it, Thompson has focused on eliminating unnecessary movements.

Thompson said these tweaks have helped his shots not go right or left, only going long or short if he misses. And with these adjustments, he's noticed himself making a lot more shots in practice. 

"[The coaches] have been working with me on it a lot," Thompson said. "Showing me what I need to do, what I need to change about my shot, just little tiny things to make my shot more consistent. We've seen improvements already."

After shooting 32.4 percent from 3 last season as a team – 11th in the Big Ten – an outside shooting boost from Thompson would certainly help an Indiana team that is projected by many to finish at the top of the Big Ten standings.  But the veteran Thompson knows it isn't wise to get caught up in preseason hype. 

He'll be in the gym working on his shot, instead. 

"It's like June, whatever day it is, so it's really early to say," Thompson said. "No one has seen anybody play or anything. It's just a prediction. We know we've got to put the work in and go out there and perform when the lights come on."

But at the same time, Thompson, like Jackson-Davis, wasn't afraid to set his sights high. Thompson said Indiana's goal this season is to win the Big Ten and win the National Championship. Personally, he wants to leave a legacy as someone who gave it their all every time they stepped on the court. 

"I think that will really show what a true Hoosier is," Thompson said. "What it's all about to be a Hoosier.

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