Kansas basketball fans should be hype for freshman Bryce Thompson

Incoming five-star freshman Bryce Thompson will be joining Kansas basketball next season and fans should be really excited.

Kansas basketball and Bill Self pulled off a big commitment when he landed Bryce Thompson, a five-star combo guard out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thompson is going to be a blast to watch next season, and fans should be really excited to see him suit up as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks.

As a top 20 recruit in the class of 2020, Thompson held offers from a ton of schools including Michigan State, North Carolina, Memphis, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and others.

Bill Self had the inside track though when it came to recruiting Thompson.

Back in the day, Self actually coached Bryce Thompson’s dad Rod Thompson at Tulsa. That family connection played a significant role in the recruitment, and Thompson signed with the Jayhawks on November 13, 2019.

MORE RECRUITING: Breaking down the 2020 recruiting class

Standing at six-foot-five, Thompson’s got a lot of size for a guard and his skill set is elite too. 247 Sports analyst Josh Gershon describes him as a “big-time scorer who can knock down shots from all three levels.” Gershon also notes Thompson’s “tremendous vision” and ability to facilitate for his teammates.

The vacuum created by the departures of Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike should allow someone to step up and become Kansas’ primary scorer, and that scorer very well could be Thompson.

While Thompson’s scoring is raved about, Gershon also pointed out that Thompson is effective on the defensive end. Given how great of a defender Marcus Garrett it, the Jayhawks’ backcourt defense could be one of or even the best in the Big 12.

Bill Self was able to sell just how well Thomson’s skills would mesh with Kansas, which helped get him to Lawrence:

"“While recruiting me, coach Self showed me the whole blueprint of where I could fit in. He showed clips of their style of play and clips of my style, then explained how my game fit. He talked about the strength of their schedule.” – Bryce Thompson via Tulsa World"

As such a highly rated recruit, Thompson is projected to be a first-round draft pick by 247 Sports. Considering Kansas probably won’t have a first-rounder in the 2020 draft, Thompson could be the first Jayhawk taken in the first-round since Josh Jackson back in 2017 if he lives up to that projection.

The main takeaway: Bryce Thompson is going to light it up next season with Kansas basketball. Thompson’s got tremendous talent, and he should be one of Bill Self’s go-to guys on the offensive end.