Bryce Thompson to Miss Significant Time with Torn Labrum
Oklahoma State will be without one of its top players for a while.
On Thursday, OSU coach Mike Boynton said that Bryce Thompson has a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will require surgery. Thompson suffered the injury in OSU’s 83-54 loss at Kansas on Tuesday and is expected to miss significant time. This will be the second time an injury has kept him out this season, as Thompson missed three games in November.
Playing less than five minutes in the game, Thompson came out of the game at the first timeout and did not return. Before leaving, he assisted on the Cowboys’ first two baskets.
With 10 regular season games remaining, the injury could be season-ending for Thompson, who is in his third season with OSU and fourth collegiate season overall. As he has in his previous two seasons in Stillwater, Thompson has had a significant role in OSU’s offense.
Thompson has been the Cowboys’ second-leading scorer this season, joining Javon Small as the only player to average at least 10 points. At 11.6 points, Thompson has been a high-volume shooter for the Cowboys, but his efficiency has not been great.
Shooting just below 40% from the field and 67.3% from the free throw line, Thompson has not always been a reliable option for OSU. Still, if Thompson’s injury ends his season, it will be a major blow to Boynton’s team.
The guard has started 17 games this season, including all eight conference matchups. Averaging 33 minutes coming into Tuesday’s game, Thompson’s role will be difficult to replace.
Although OSU’s game against Kansas was not competitive, guys such as Quion Williams and Jarius Hicklen showed that they will be relied on to fill the void. This season has already felt like a lost cause for OSU multiple times, but losing the longest-tenured Cowboy with the most Big 12 experience may be the final blow.
OSU will play its first game since Thompson’s injury on Saturday when it hosts Kansas State.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.