Purdue’s Latest 2014 Men’s Basketball Target: Dmitri Thompson
Perhaps Matt Painter is taking a cue from football coach Danny Hope because his latest recruiting target is from the Sunshine State. Purdue basketball hasn’t had a player from Florida since Keaton Grant, but it has been reported that Matt Painter flew down to Orlando on Wednesday night to watch class of 2014 wing Dmitri Thompson.
After watching the 6-4 sophomore score 10 points in his team’s win, Matt Painter extended an early scholarship offer to Thompson before flying back to Indiana. He plays for Orlando Christian Prep, which is a highly ranked team in Florida (#2 in the Orlando Sentinel’s Super 16). Coach Painter hosted Thompson at the Purdue elite camp in Indianapolis this past summer.
Thompson is a very long player with a very lean frame at this point. His build is similar to Basil Smotherman’s when Smotherman was a freshman. Thompson has tremendous bounce though and loves dunking.
Video of Dmitri Thompson
Scouting Report: Thompson has the athleticism that Painter desires to play great on-the-ball defense by frustrating dribblers with his quick feet. His good size and jumping ability help him rebound well from the 2/3 position. His outstanding length helps him block shots on the defensive end. On offense, he uses his leaping ability and quickness to make his own shot. He hit two of three 3-point shots on Wednesday night, but his identity isn’t as a shooter yet. I hate to compare him to a player of our hated rival, but he does remind me of Victor Oladipo at Indiana University.
As a side note, I want to mention that it’s encouraging that Matt Painter was able to fly to Orlando on a Wednesday night for recruiting. Last year, maybe Painter wouldn’t get the green light to hop on a flight to Florida because of the expense of such a trip. I like that Painter is taking a look outside the state of Indiana for the class of 2014. Perhaps Painter isn’t seeing exactly what he wants within state borders and felt compelled to cast a net outside of Indiana.
More video of Thompson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN4XAtw0YYg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GviCJJGKd9E&feature=related
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