Bryce Thompson Commitment Primer: Where We Think the Tulsa Star Is Headed

After a wild two years that saw Bryce Thompson emerge from a sub-100 prospect to a bonafide top-20 national recruit, he’s finally ready to make a decision. The Booker T. Washington product will make his college commitment on Tuesday morning. Here’s what you need to know.

The contenders: Thompson’s final four schools are as follows: Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Oklahoma State. Unofficially, many believe he’s down to two: Kansas and Oklahoma State. Both schools have earned campus visits over the last week and coaches from both schools have been in to see him as well to make their final pitches.

The favorite: Kansas is the favorite, with 18 percent of analysts in the 247Sports crystal ball pegging KU as the landing spot and 100 percent of analysts at Rivals pegging it as KU.

On Thompson, the talent: Thompson is a 6-foot-5 two-way guard who can play point or shooting guard. When you watch him, you’ll feel like you’re watching an old man in pickup ball — he’s got a grown man game with an elite feel and a smooth stroke, with a throwback midrange game that is chef’s kiss to boot. Whether it’s one year or three years from now, he’ll be in the NBA soon enough.

Boone’s Prediction: I think it’s Kansas. Even with NCAA sanctions looming, the Thompson’s have a longstanding relationship with Bill Self; Bryce’s father, Rod, played for him at Tulsa. I think that bond — along with the appeal of playing in one of college basketball’s temples — is going to be too much for OSU to overcome.

Porter’s prediction: Kansas. Bryce’s brother doesn’t coach in Stillwater. It’s a lot easier to say yes to Allen Fieldhouse and its eerie chants when you don’t have a family member on staff elsewhere. That tide is turning a bit. Boynton is turning it. Whoever is Bryce Thompson in 2025 might legit pick OSU over Kansas. But not right now, not yet.

Cox’s prediction: Kansas. I would love to see Bryce turn 2020 into a super class for OSU (maybe it already is), but it comes down to what he wants and I’m not sure anyone can predict that. Do you stay in your home state with a school that suddenly has oodles of potential or go to a proven winner with a Hall of Fame coach you have family ties to? I honestly don’t know his intentions so I’ll go with what, on the outside, looks like a more logical case.

Marshall’s prediction: Oklahoma State. I’m going against my gut (Kansas) here. Thompson in a one and done level player, and I think Oklahoma State is the best place for him to be successful in that one season.

I don’t buy into the thought that OSU will have too many guards. Thompson is 6-5, Cunningham is 6-7. In modern basketball, you really just need a rim protector and at least one ball handler. Apart from that, you can get pretty positionless. I think the styles of Thompson, Cunningham and Likekele could mesh great together for the Pokes next year.