Zion-Benton’s Maurice Thompson has always been ahead of the game, playing at a higher level than many others his age.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard knows he can’t rest on his laurels if he wants to stay ahead.
“I try to get in two workouts on most days,” Thompson said. “Just today in practice, we were working on floaters. I noticed that was a weak part of my game. I still need to work on finishing in different ways.”
That’s just one of the steps Thompson has taken to become a consistent, multidimensional player. He has led the Zee-Bees (6-16, 2-8) in scoring 12 times this season, most recently with 17 points in a three-point North Suburban Conference loss to Lake Zurich on Wednesday. He’s averaging a little more than 12 points and 4.0 rebounds.
“We knew coming in that he would be a big part of the equation because he just has a knack for scoring,” Zion-Benton coach Rod Henry said. “He can shoot and can dribble-drive both to the right and to the left, and with his size, he can take advantage of smaller guards.”
But Thompson has noticed it’s not as easy to drive past people as it used to be.
“Being physical has been in my game forever,” he said. “I’m still bigger than a lot of guards, but varsity defenders are on a different level. That’s why I’m always working on my shot because I can’t always drive.”
Thompson has been making adjustments since he was promoted to Zion-Benton’s varsity team midway through last season. There were some bumps along the way, both individually and for the Zee-Bees, who won just four games. But Thompson looks back at the experience in a positive light.
“Toward the end of the season, I started feeling more comfortable,” he said. “If I hadn’t had that experience, I don’t think I’d be doing as well as I am. It really prepped me for this year.”
Sure enough, Thompson was clear-eyed enough after his freshman season to assess his strengths and weaknesses. Among the items he wanted to address was being strong with two feet when he has the ball.
“I’ve been dunking off two feet since eighth grade, and now it feels more natural to me,” he said. “You’re just stronger off two feet. When I play off one foot, that’s when I get into trouble, with things like turnovers.”
Ball control is always important, but it’s most obvious for a point guard. That’s not Thompson’s usual position, but he started the season running Zion Benton’s offense because senior Amare Simpson was sidelined until recently after suffering a knee injury last spring. Thompson’s coaches believed he would be up to the task until Simpson returned.
“I like to think that one of my strong suits is being versatile,” Thompson said. “I can rebound and play defense besides score. Playing point guard taught me that I need to be able to dribble better and also make better decisions.”
Better decision-making was one of Henry’s points of emphasis after Thompson’s freshman season.
“Last year, he took too many ill-advised shots,” Henry said. “At the beginning of this season, he was asked to initiate the offense, and that helped him understand the floor more because his shot selection has gotten better.”
Zion-Benton senior guard Rmoni Beals, who also was promoted to the varsity team midway through his freshman season, appreciates the progress that Thompson has made.
“I remember my freshman year,” Beals said. “I was nervous and scared of making mistakes. Making mistakes is one of the main ways you learn. I can see him (Thompson) being more mature, and his basketball IQ is getting better. We tell him to play his game, and we’ll see where it helps take us.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.