Prospect Watch: Ethan Thompson (2018)

Class of 2018 guard Ethan Thompson of Hallsville wrapped up an excellent career as one of the top small-school performers in Mid-Missouri. The 6'2" Thompson was a major piece of a successful Hallsville team that was a group of interchangeable parts that were tough to match up against. Hallsville finished the 2018 season with a 23-4 record to complete its second consecutive season with more than 20 victories. "It was fun playing with my teammates because we have been together since we were little," Thompson said. "Whenever somebody was having an off-shooting game, there was someone else there to take up the slack." Thompson will be among the top players in the middle of the state that will be competing in the Mid-Missouri All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon in Eldon. Tip off is at 2 p.m. For much of his career, Thompson made his mark an excellent 3-point shooter who could stretch defenses and open things up for his teammates. As a senior, Thompson returned with an improved drive game which gave him another dimension to his offensive game. He was more aggressive about getting to the rim and finishing. "I really improved on getting to the rim and just stopped just being a 3-point shooter," Thompson said. "It made me a lot harder to guard. If people face-guarded me, I can get to the rim and that made it easier for me." Thompson has received recruiting interest from schools such as Westminster, Columbia College, Park University and Quincy. "I'm looking forward to going to the next level," he said. "I need to get quicker and improve on my defense."