Indiana Basketball's Race Thompson Out Indefinitely With Leg Injury

Indiana senior forward Race Thompson is out indefinitely with a right leg injury he suffered during the Hoosiers 91-89 loss at Iowa on Thursday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana senior forward Race Thompson is out indefinitely after suffering a right leg injury on Thursday at Iowa. 

When the injury occurred, Thompson had nine points and three rebounds as Indiana led by 12 points with 4:35 left in the first half. Indiana lost this game 91-89 to move to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play.

"Well it's tough because I thought he had his legs taken out from under him," Indiana coach Mike Woodson said on Thursday. "No call. It's a bad play, it really is."

Indiana Hoosiers medical staff work on forward Race Thompson (25) during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The 6-foot-8 Thompson has started all 14 games for Indiana this year, averaging 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds. A three-time captain, Thomson earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention and was the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner last season. Despite going through Senior Day ceremonies last year, Thompson decided to return for his sixth season at Indiana. He has played in 114 total games with 76 consecutive starts as a Hoosier.

Indiana will now be without two starters, Thompson and senior point guard Xavier Johnson, for the foreseeable future. During Indiana's game at Kansas on Dec. 17, Johnson suffered a foot injury, and he is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery. 

"Obviously X and Race are both my guys, and just to see that disappoints me," Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said on Thursday. "It disappoints me a lot, and I pray for the best and hope he's okay, but it hits home. I'm not going to lie to you."

Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson (25) walks off the court with forward Nathan Childress (14) and guard Michael Shipp (4) after an injury during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson-Davis is also dealing with a lingering back issue that has caused him to miss three games this season. He was in obvious pain during the Iowa game on Thursday, but still managed to score 30 points and nine rebounds. Woodson said he tried to give Jackson-Davis a rest in the second half, but he didn't want to come out of the game.

"I really just played through the pain honestly," Jackson-Davis said. "Timmy [Garl] put a little patch on my back, Icy Hot, to try to stabilize it, but really just got to play through it, especially when my team needs me."

With Thompson out, Indiana will turn to Jordan Geronimo and Malik Reneau to fill his role. In his junior season, the 6-foot-6 Geronimo is averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game off the bench. 

Reneau has had an up-and-down freshman season so far, but he's shown clear flashes of talent. He scored 12 points at No. 18 Xavier, going up against veteran forwards Jack Nunge and Zach Freemantle. But recently, Reneau has been plagued by foul trouble and turnover issues. Across Indiana's last eight games, he's scored 32 points on 14-for-34 shooting with 23 rebounds, 20 fouls and 16 turnovers. 

Thompson's injury could also open the door for 6-foot-10 sophomore center Logan Duncomb or freshman forward Kaleb Banks to play increased roles. Duncomb has only appeared in eight games this year, and he scored a career-high 10 points against Elon on Dec. 20. The 6-foot-7 Banks also scored a career-high eight points against Elon. 

Next up for Indiana is a home game against Northwestern on Sunday at Noon ET, followed by a road trip to Penn State for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff on Jan. 11.

"There is nothing you can do about it," Woodson said. "It's a part of the game. All I can do is wish X and Race a speedy recovery and that they get back. Until they get back, other guys got to step up and play, and I gotta help them get there."

Indiana forward Race Thompson (25) gets helped off the floor by teammates Michael Shipp, left, and Nathan Childress after getting injured as Clif Marshall, director of athletic performance, right, looks on during a NCAA Big Ten Conference men's basketball game against Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa :: © Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

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