Former Beaver Stephen Thompson Jr. and Puerto Rico Basketball Qualify For Paris Olympics
After winning the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, former Oregon State basketball star Stephen Thompson Jr. and the Puerto Rican national team have reached their first Olympic games in 20 years.
Puerto Rico defeated Lithuania in the tournament final on Sunday by a score of 79-68.
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Beaver fans likely remember Thompson as the 2017 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. He finished his four-year careeer at OSU as the program's career leader in three-point shots made with 230.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado was Puerto Rico's leading scorer in the win with 23 points. Thompson did not play in the final. Thompson's best performance of the tournament came in the group stage against Bahrain, where he logged 20 points in 17 minutes.
Puerto Rico will compete in Group C at the Olympics, along with Serbia, South Sudan, and the United States. The Olympic tournament begins on July 27 in Paris, France.
👀 We see you Stevie! https://t.co/iQGNn46Tgc pic.twitter.com/PB2BIiEaD3
— Oregon State Hoops (@BeaverMBB) July 8, 2024
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.