‘No story is going to be perfect’: How KU transfer Bryce Thompson feels at home with OSU
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STILLWATER — Bryce Thompson refuses to call last season a bad experience.
He suffered two injuries. He lost confidence in his shot. He struggled to find his place in Kansas coach Bill Self’s system.
That’s enough to make any player miserable.
“I just think a lot of things didn’t go my way,” Thompson told The Oklahoman. “It was just kinda up and down.”
But it certainly was a learning experience.
More than a year after spurning Oklahoma State for the Jayhawks, Thompson is now a member of the Cowboys’ basketball team, the result of a tough season and the ability to remedy that through the transfer portal.
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He’s a different player and person, perhaps more humble.
But after one week of workouts on campus, Thompson feels at peace. He knows he has a chance for a do-over.
“No story is going to be perfect,” Thompson said. “It’s going to make the story a lot better being able to come back home and hopefully do well and put on for (the state of) Oklahoma.”
Thompson, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard, certainly has the ability to make last season a footnote in his career.
At Tulsa Booker T. Washington High School, he was a five-star recruit, McDonald’s All-American and The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Player of the Year. He was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year twice. He won a state championship and wowed fans with his impressive athleticism.
Choosing Kansas over OSU, OU and others was no surprise. Thompson’s father, Rod, was Self’s first point guard at Tulsa. Bryce’s grandfather Marshall Rogers played at Kansas in 1973.
The match felt right until it didn’t.
Bryce scored a career-best 12 points in the season opener against Gonzaga. He started the second game of the season against Saint Joseph’s, scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds.
But he still never felt entirely comfortable in the system.
Then coming off the holiday break, he cracked a vertebrae in his lower back. He returned on Jan. 12 at OSU, but broke his right index finger. He missed 10 total games.
Even starting in three of the final four games wasn’t enough to settle Thompson.
“I don’t think it was the right fit that helped me and my talents,” Thompson said. “I’m not saying it’s not a fit for anybody else. I just think for me personally it wasn’t the best spot for me.
“There were times during the season where I wasn’t shooting as great and I wasn’t able to get into a rhythm and stuff. It just wasn’t good for me.”
Bryce shot just 35.3% overall and averaged 4.6 points.
Late in the season, Rod started to sense a change was needed. Bryce just had to come to that conclusion himself.
“I played for Coach Self and respect him and respect that program,” Rod said. “Sometimes you just have to make tough decisions. It definitely was a tough one. We’re just excited about the new opportunity that Bryce is afforded to get.”
In April, Bryce entered the transfer portal. Nearly 20 programs reached out, with OSU, OU and Tulsa becoming the frontrunners.
Ultimately, it was OSU coach Mike Boynton’s relationship with Bryce and Rod that won out.
Bryce and Boynton bonded during the initial recruitment. That carried over this time and Bryce felt like he was getting more than a coach with Boynton.
“Just knowing him, knowing what he stood for and the conversations we had,” Bryce said. “The conversations away from basketball, I think those were the reasons I came here.
“I was getting a mentor and somebody I can always talk to if I need something.”
Bryce also saw a freeing style of play under Boynton.
Bryce feels he can make a mistake and not feel like he’d immediately get pulled from the game. He watched how Boynton coached Cade Cunningham while also maintaining a close-knit program.
The rise of Avery Anderson III and Kalib Boone helped. The quick growth of Rondel Walker stood out.
Now, Bryce believes he can be the next big riser. He’s expected to help fill some of the void left by Cunningham.
One week in, Bryce’s confidence is back.
“A trillion times,” Bryce said.
And he has a chance to add quite a chapter to his story.
“I’m loving it,” Bryce said. “I feel completely embraced, I feel like this is the right spot for me.”
Jacob Unruh covers college sports for The Oklahoman. You can send your story ideas to him at junruh@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: ‘No story is going to be perfect’: How KU transfer Bryce Thompson feels at home with OSU