While football season is in full swing, it doesn’t mean we can’t dabble in some basketball prep ahead of the first tip-off on November 3rd! Next up is redshirt freshman: Trey Thompson!
#20 – Trey Thompson, F, 6’8”, 228 lbs
2nd year; Greeneville, TN; Greeneville
2025-26: Redshirt
After the hay was in the barn for the 2025-26 Iowa Hawkeyes, Ben McCollum got a summer commitment from a player with an offer sheet a mile long including the two teams who just played for the national title in UConn & Purdue. The deciding factor? Ben McCollum offered an immediate spot on the roster after reclassifying. Thompson did and his hit from top 40ish recruit in the class of 2026 was adjusted to top 100 in the class of 2025.
He wasn’t allowed to practice with Iowa until he enrolled in September, which kept him from McCollum’s important summer program. As a result, the decision was made to redshirt him given the NCAA rules at the time. No sense burning a year of eligibility for a 17-year-old who didn’t have the summer to get up to speed.
It’s easy to imagine another highly touted recruit taking the bag and hitting the door at season’s end. Yet he’s still around and absolutely looks the part. During media day this week, he received rave reviews for his performance in an open scrimmage.
His role for the upcoming season is likely to be as an off the bench microwave. Given the size on the roster, he’s likely to play a backup 3 or 4, in place of Cooper Koch. Is ability to shoot has been of note since the NCAA Tournament when Ben McCollum mentioned that he was around 40% throughout practice last year and running pick & rolls with Tate Sage.
Given his accolades, the expectations for him to perform are high. But the depth at his position allows McCollum to ride the hot hand which may make his role ebb and flow. His ability to compete on defense and be multi-dimensional on offense will allow him to have an impact on the floor.
