Post-Tribune |

Merrillville star guard Keon Thompson Jr. transfers to a Florida prep school to ‘get more out of his game,’ according to his father

Merrillville’s Keon Thompson Jr. had been considering a move to a prep school for a while, according to his father.

Thompson Jr., the third-leading scorer in Indiana last season, finally made the decision on Sept. 11.

The senior guard transferred to the National Top Sports Institute in Orlando, Florida, where he’ll play for the postgraduate team, Keon Thompson Sr. said. Thompson Jr. started school there on Monday.

Thompson Sr. said his son wanted to challenge himself and see whether he could increase his number of scholarship offers. The website 247Sports lists nine scholarship offers for Thompson Jr. They are mostly mid-majors and include Valparaiso, Ball State, Cleveland State, Drake and Indiana State.

Thompson Jr., who averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds and two assists last season, will get a chance to play against some of the top competition in the country, his father said.

“He’s been thinking about making the move the whole time he’s been in high school,” Thompson Sr. said. “He wanted to push himself more and see if he could get more out of his game.”

Thompson Sr. said most people in Indiana “didn’t know he was the third-leading scorer in the state.”

They believe that more exposure might lead to other scholarship offers.

Thompson Sr. said his son also will have a chance to play point guard. At Merrillville, he was a combo guard.

“That will get him used to running the point,” Thompson Sr. said.

The coronavirus pandemic hurt Thompson Jr.’s recruiting, his father said. His AAU season was canceled.

Thompson Sr. said making the move wasn’t easy.

“It was impossible,” he said. “When he got there, he was questioning whether he should stay. He has hardly been away from home. I told him he should try it and that the worst-case scenario is that you come home.”