Thompson headed to Paradise

College prospects on the bubble can earn one of the few scholarships left to be awarded in the spring with a good showing during the playoffs. Hiram Thompson of Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills led his team to a California state championship and garnered an offer to continue his playing career in the Western Athletic Conference which he gladly accepted.

Thompson gave a verbal commitment to Hawaii on Monday. He was also hearing from Boston University, St. Mary's, BYU, and Colgate but Hawaii has been persistent throughout.

"They had been watching me for about a year," said Hiram. The 6-foot-3 senior point guard said an offer was extended during the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Hiram played a key role for the Trojans en route to their state Div. II championship run. He averaged 14.6 points and 4.3 assists per game during the regular season. In the NorCal title game against Palo Alto, he had 14 points and seven steals.

Oak Ridge graduated only one senior from last year's team, which advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II championship game. Thompson said he was not surprised by his team's success this season. "The whole year, our goal was to accomplish a championship."