Four-star Thompson has ties to Pac 12 program

Four-star shooting guard Ethan Thompson is well aware that most people following his recruitment feel that he'll end up at Oregon State because of family ties. However, the No. 47 ranked player in the class of 2017 doesn't feel family any pressure to end up in Corvalis and is doing his best to find the best fit for him.

A 6-foot-4 senior to be at Bishop Montgomery in the Los Angeles area, Thompson's father is an assistant coach at Oregon State while his older brother Stephen Thompson will be a sophomore next season. Because of that he knows plenty about the Beavers but he's comfortable with the approach of his father and older sibling.

"If I'm at home it's them being my brother and my dad and trying to help me find the best fit for me, it's not any pressure," said Thompson. "But my dad as a coach, he's recruiting me hard. My brother as a player, he wants me to come play with him."

Through the spring and the beginning of July, Thompson certainly hasn't looked like he's feeling any strain. An easy going kid off the floor, he's stepped up his intensity on it for California Supreme and has showed that he's much more than the designated shooter he was considered early in his career.

"I think I've played well," said Thompson. "I've been trying to do whatever my teams need me to do. Even if I'm not scoring I try to make sure I help people get open and that I'm making the right plays.

"I needed to get better with my decision making and the next area for me to improve is defensively."

When August rolls around, Thompson says that he'd like to get into visit and decision making mode. There was a time when his ties to Oregon State scared others away but he feels like he has some potentially attractive options to compare the Beavers to.

"(My recruitment) slowed it down a little bit in the beginning," said Thompson." Since the end of the high school year it's been picking up and now in July it's picking up more. Syracuse, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC and a couple others have reached out.

"In August I'll probably do a lot of visits. I just want to focus on this live period and then settle down for a decision."