Beach Basketball Adds Another Guard In Messiah Thompson
6/22/2023 12:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
A graduate transfer, Thompson is a proven Division I shooter with four years of experience.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Dan Monson and Long Beach State Men's Basketball coaching staff have announced the commitment of another Division I transfer, as Messiah Thompson will join the Beach as a graduate transfer with one season of eligibility remaining.
Thompson averaged 10.8 points per game and 3.1 assists per game as the starting point guard for Alabama A&M last season after spending three years at Campbell. A proven shooter, Thompson shot 40.8% from three last season, making 62 of 152 3-pointers and coming to the Beach as a career 37.3 percent shooter with nearly 200 made threes in his career.
"Messiah is a graduate transfer who is a mature leader with lots of Division I experience," said Dan Monson. "We love his versatility. He can play on or off the ball, can score at all three levels, and can defend 94 feet. We feel he can be a real x factor at both ends of the court for us."
In three seasons at Campbell, Thompson played in 82 games and made 140 assists. Following the 2019-20 shortened COVID-19 season, Thompson returned in 2020-21 and played a big role in the Camels going 17-10 overall and reaching the Big South Tournament championship game. The 5-8, 170 pound point guard averaged 8.4 points per game and shot 40.0 percent from three while starting six games and playing in all 27. He then again averaged over eight points per game during the 2021-22 season with Campbell.
A highly-sought after recruit out of Atlanta, Thompson averaged 26 points and 9 assists per game as a senior out of North Atlanta HS, earning First-Team All-State honors and being named the Atlanta "Passer of the Year."
Thompson joins fellow Division I transfer Isa Silva on the 2023-24 squad for Long Beach State along with a veteran core from the 2022-23 team including former All-Big West selections Lassina Traore, Aboubacar Traore, Marcus Tsohonis and Jadon Jones as well as seven other returning letter-winners from last year's campaign.
Thompson averaged 10.8 points per game and 3.1 assists per game as the starting point guard for Alabama A&M last season after spending three years at Campbell. A proven shooter, Thompson shot 40.8% from three last season, making 62 of 152 3-pointers and coming to the Beach as a career 37.3 percent shooter with nearly 200 made threes in his career.
"Messiah is a graduate transfer who is a mature leader with lots of Division I experience," said Dan Monson. "We love his versatility. He can play on or off the ball, can score at all three levels, and can defend 94 feet. We feel he can be a real x factor at both ends of the court for us."
In three seasons at Campbell, Thompson played in 82 games and made 140 assists. Following the 2019-20 shortened COVID-19 season, Thompson returned in 2020-21 and played a big role in the Camels going 17-10 overall and reaching the Big South Tournament championship game. The 5-8, 170 pound point guard averaged 8.4 points per game and shot 40.0 percent from three while starting six games and playing in all 27. He then again averaged over eight points per game during the 2021-22 season with Campbell.
A highly-sought after recruit out of Atlanta, Thompson averaged 26 points and 9 assists per game as a senior out of North Atlanta HS, earning First-Team All-State honors and being named the Atlanta "Passer of the Year."
Thompson joins fellow Division I transfer Isa Silva on the 2023-24 squad for Long Beach State along with a veteran core from the 2022-23 team including former All-Big West selections Lassina Traore, Aboubacar Traore, Marcus Tsohonis and Jadon Jones as well as seven other returning letter-winners from last year's campaign.
Players Mentioned
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