| Deon Thompson |
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CAREER NOTES
Averaging 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 77 games as a Tar Heel • Shooting 50.6 percent from the floor • Scored his 500th career point in the Final Four against Kansas.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2007-08)
Led UNC in blocks with 51 • Carolina's fifth-leading scorer at 8.4 points per game • Started 38 games at power forward • Third-leading rebounder at 4.8 per game • Scored in double figures 14 times with highs of 17 vs. Boston College and 16 vs. NC State and Arkansas • Scored eight or more points in 14 straight games prior to being injured on a breakaway attemp at Virginia on Feb. 12 • Began the year 3 for 16 (.188) from the free throw line, but made 41 of his last 58 (.707).
Game Highlights
Pre-ACC: Had 13 points, six boards and two blocks against Iona • Had 14 points and seven rebounds at Ohio State • Scored 10 of his 14 in the second half, in which UNC rallied from a three-point deficit • Scored eight points in an 11-2 Tar Heel run that gave UNC a 53-42 lead • First career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Penn • Had nine rebounds (five offensive) and three blocked shots at Rutgers • Career-high 12 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass vs. UC Santa Barbara • Blocked a career-high five shots and added 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Valparaiso • Blocks helped key the 27-2 run in the second half that secured the win.
January: Had eight points, five boards, two blocks and two steals against Kent State • An active game at Clemson with nine points, seven boards, a career-high four assists and two steals • Matched his career high with six offensive rebounds against UNC Asheville • Finished with eight points and nine rebounds Scored a then-career-high 16 points against NC State • Had 10 points and three blocks in the first half as UNC built a 43-13 lead • Attempted a career-high 15 shots from the floor • Strong game on both ends of the floor against Boston College - won his first-ever defensive player of the game award and scored a career-high 17 points (13 in the first half) • Also tied his career highs with four assists and three steals • Made a career-high eight field goals in 10 attempts • Was 6 for 7 from the floor in the opening half as UNC built a 47-31 lead • All three steals led to Tar Heel baskets • Helped UNC force 17 turnovers and limit the Eagles to 42.4 percent shooting from the floor.
February: Had 11 points and five rebounds and was UNC's defensive player of the game at Florida State. • Scored eight of his 11 points in the first half as Carolina weathered the loss of Ty Lawson and kept a 31-29 lead at the half • Made 5 of 6 shots from the floor and had 12 points and five rebounds before fouling out in home loss against Duke • Played 18 minutes due to foul trouble • Picked up his fourth with 17 minutes to play and UNC trailing by four points • Scored nine points in the opening half then added a three-point play to pull UNC within a point early in the second half • Had eight points, eight boards and two blocks in the double OT win over Clemson • Had a big block on James Mays with 1:03 to play in regulation and the Tigers holding an 82-80 lead • Scored 12 points, eight in the second half, and had six rebounds and two steals despite playing with a hyperextended left knee for the last 36 minutes in the win at Virginia • Suffered the injury when he was fouled from behind on a breakaway attempt after he stole the ball near midcourt.
March: Had eight points, three assists and two blocked shots in the home win over Florida State • Scored seven points, grabbed nine rebounds (five offensive) and blocked a career-high tying five shots in the win at Duke • Helped UNC block 15 shots, second-most in UNC history • Four of his offensive rebounds led to seven points.
ACC Tournament: Totaled eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the three wins • Made 3 of 15 shots from the floor • Carolina's defensive player of the game against Florida State • Did not score against Virginia Tech, the first time all year he failed to register a point • Had five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the championship game against Clemson.
NCAA Tournament: Scored in double figures in three of the five NCAA Tournament games • Had 10 points against Louisville and six points, eight reounds against Washington State in Charlotte • Key basket in the lane gave UNC a 68-64 lead over Louisville • Made 14 of 16 shots from the floor (87.5 percent) and averaged 15.5 points in opening weekend wins over Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas • The 31 points mark the highest back-to-back scoring totals in his career • Made all eight of his field goal attempts, scored 16 and added three assists and three blocks in 108-77 win over the Razorbacks • Had 15 points and eight rebounds against Mount St. Mary's, his top scoring game since he had 17 against BC on Jan. 31, 2008 • Scored nine first-half points (one more than he scored in three ACC Tourney games the previous week) • Was 6 for 8 from the floor and added four offensive boards.
Played for Team USA in the summer of 2007 in the Under 19 World Championships in Serbia, where he was the team's third-leading scorer (10.0 ppg) and the leading rebounder (6.1) • Had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the semifinal win over France, 17 points in an earlier game against Lithuania and 16 in the gold medal loss to host Serbia • Led the team in scoring in the last two medal-round games • Shot 56.3 percent from the floor in the nine games, eight of which the USA won.
FRESHMAN SEASON
(2006-07)
Made 14 of his last 19 shots
from the floor over the last six
games • Shot 55.8 percent from the
floor • Eleven of his last 16 rebounds
came on the offensive glass
• Scored in double figures twice -
14 at Arizona and in the NCAA
Tournament vs. Georgetown •
Scored nine points against High
Point, his highest output off the
bench until the Georgetown game
• Scored six points in nine minutes
(3 of 4 from the floor) in the win
over Ohio State, then the No. 1
ranked team in the coaches poll •
Grabbed five rebounds in the win
over Tennessee • Had eight points
and three assists against Florida Atlantic
• Had seven points and three
rebounds against Rutgers •
Blocked two shots and had two
steals against Dayton • Scored
eight points, including six straight
UNC points in a key second-half
run, in the win over Virginia • The
Cavaliers led 46-41 before Thompson
scored three straight UNC baskets
• Also added two blocks and two steals in an active 13-minute
stint • Scored six points on 3 for 3
from the floor in the loss at Virginia
Tech • Scored all seven of his
points in the first half in UNC's
win at 14th-ranked Clemson •
Added two assists and a steal • Had
two points, two offensive boards
and three steals vs. Georgia Tech •
Made his first collegiate start at
Arizona in place of
Brandan Wright (who
was sick) and responded
with season highs of 14
points and six rebounds
• Made 7 of 8 shots from
the floor • Played a season-
high 23 minutes •
Had six points and a season-
high seven rebounds
in 104-67 win over
Wake Forest • Scored six
points and had five rebounds
in home win
over NC State • Was 2
for 2 from the floor in
the ACC Tournament finals
vs. NC State •
Scored four points
against both EKU and
Michigan State • Had
three offensive rebounds
in 13 minutes against the
Spartans • Was outstanding
in the East Regional
final vs. Georgetown as
he scored 14 points on 6
of 7 shooting from the
floor and had six rebounds (four
offensive) in 21 minutes.
PREP/PERSONAL
Scored 30 or more points five times and had 20 or more rebounds on six occasions as a senior at Torrance High School • Had a foot injury early in his senior season • Played for head coach George Tachibana • Torrance Daily Breeze 2006 Player of the Year • Averaged 21.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.6 blocked shots as a senior and 19.4 points, 11.3 boards and 4.6 blocks in 2005 • Senior scoring high of 36 points against Reno • Had 22 points and 22 rebounds in playoff win over South Torrance and 27 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks in regional loss to Hoover • Led Torrance to California Division II-A finals in 2006 and quarterfinals in 2005 • Had 28 points and 10 rebounds in upset win over No. 2 seed Paso Robles in 2006 Division II-A semifinals • Pioneer League co-MVP in 2005 • Majoring in sociology.
