Final Grades: Race Thompson Stepped Up When Hoosiers Needed Him the Most

Race Thompson, the backup big man for Indiana, had a nice finish to the season, right when the Hoosiers for looking for a pick-me-up.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Race Thompson's time at Indiana has moved slowly, first by choice and then dragged out by injuries. But when the Hoosiers really needed him to step up in February this season, he did exactly that.

The redshirt sophomore from Plymouth, Minn., came off the bench all season, stepping in for Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk on the inside. And after going the first nine Big Ten games without ever scoring more than four points, he stepped up in mid-February against Iowa and helped the Hoosiers get a big win when Brunk had hit a rough patch. 

It led to a big finish for the versatile 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward, something Indiana really needed. Let's take a look at Thompson's season, and what stood out.

By the numbers

• Games played: 29
• Games started: 0
• Minutes per game: 13.7
• Points per game: 3.7
• Assists per game: 0.4
• Rebounds per game: 3.9
• Field goal percentage: 46.3
• 3-point percentage: 30.0
• Free throw percentage: 65.9

Best game

Indiana 68, Minnesota 56 on Feb. 19, 2020: The 89-77 win over Iowa on Feb. 13 was big because it was Thompson's only game in double figures all season (10 points), but his best game was at Minnesota, because he had nine points and 10 rebounds in front of dozens of friends and family members. 

It was also huge because Indiana snared a rare road win on Feb. 19 when it really needed it the most. It set the stage for a big finish for the Hoosiers, and that win was probably enough to help secure an NCAA bid, had the tournament happened. There's more it next, as well. 

Things I liked

Thompson's run down the stretch was huge, and he played 20 minutes or in six of the Hoosiers' final nine games. He was steady and consistent, and it came at a perfect time because Brunk had been struggling and Thompson filled a huge void.

During those games, he shot 50 percent from the field and averaged nearly seven rebounds a game. He's athletic enough that he can do some good things in a variety of roles. He helps defensively, can guard a variety of big guys with different skill sets and still shows enough to know that big things are still yet to come.

Things I didn't like

It's admirable that Thompson was a big piece from mid-February on, but what about the three months that preceded it? We thought this might be the season where he became a bigger factor, and we got that for a third of the year, not all of it.

There was an injury again — a back strain after a bad fall — and that had a little to do with it. For some who expected more, they didn't quite get it. But he's still a critical piece to this team, and will be even more so next year with no addition inside help coming in.

Best video

Thompson never has a lot to say. His occasional interviews, either postgame or pregame, are usually clipped with short answers. 

It was the same after the Minnesota game, where his answers still showed how much the win there in front of his family and a bunch of friends meant to him. 

Final Grade: B-minus

Thompson had some nice moments late, and that was all good and well. He was a fine bench player who stepped up when the Hoosiers needed him. That was a big plus, but we could have certainly benefited from seeing more of that throughout the season.

There's no shame in the B-minus, of course, because he performed well in a relatively small sample size. I'm expecting a much higher grade a year from now.

Your thoughts? Please join the conversation in our Community thread.

Complete list of 'Final Grades' stories

• PART 1, DEVONTE GREEN: Breaking down the season for Indiana senior guard and co-captain Devonte Green. CLICK HERE
• PART 2, DE'RON DAVIS: Indiana's senior big man battled injuries throughout his career, but stayed healthy in 2020 and played a small role. CLICK HERE
• PART 3, AL DURHAM: The junior guard leads Indiana in three-point shooting percentage and carries a big load. CLICK HERE
• PART 4, JUSTIN SMITH: The junior forward was second in scoring and rebounding for the Hoosiers, but there seemed to be something missing. CLICK HERE
• PART 5, JOEY BRUNK: The transfer from Butler added a lot to the Indiana roster, both on and off the court. CLICK HERE
• PART 6, ROB PHINISEE: The sophomore point guard never was the same after a lengthy abdominal injury. CLICK HERE
• PART 7, JEROME HUNTER: It was great to see Jerome Hunter back out on the floor after missing entire freshman season. CLICK HERE
• PART 8, RACE THOMPSON: The redshirt sophomore was productive off the bench, and had a happy homecoming in Minnesota. CLICK HERE
• PART 9, DAMEZI ANDERSON: We take a deep dive into what happened to Damezi Anderson, whose offensive game completely disappeared. CLICK HERE
• PART 10: TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: The standout freshman was Indiana's best player all season, and it wasn't even close. CLICK HERE
• PART 11: ARMAAN FRANKLIN: Some magical moments back home in Indianapolis this season for Indiana's freshman guard. CLICK HERE