CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Head coach Jim Christian announced that Gianni Thompson has signed his national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic endeavors at Boston College.
Thompson, a 6-8, 205 lb. forward, is rated as a four-star recruit and the 34th-best forward nationally by ESPN.com and is ranked 136th nationally – 23rd among power forwards – by 247Sports.com.
“We are thrilled to have Gianni join our Boston College Basketball family,” said Christian. “It doesn’t get any more local for him and his family – he went to high school about a mile from campus and lives less than two miles away.”
“He is a gifted, explosive athlete and has unlimited upside due to his work ethic. You can see that he has been well-coached at every level of the game – with Mass Rivals and Brimmer and May. We believe Gianni will continue to develop and impact the game on both ends of the floor,” Christian added.
Thompson, who grew up in Dorchester and now lives in Newton, played AAU with the Mass Rivals program. He becomes the fourth player from the AAU powerhouse to commit to the Eagles in the last two seasons.
As a junior in 2019-20, Thompson was an All-NEPSAC Class AA selection for nearby Brimmer and May, averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for head coach Tom Nelson. Thompson scored a season-best 35 points on Jan. 14 in a win over Noble & Greenough, and 33 points against Cheshire Academy on Feb. 8.
What they are saying about Gianni Thompson
Boston College has landed a gem. Gianni Thompson is an intelligent, high character, and exceptional basketball talent with extraordinary determination and work ethic. He is extremely versatile and can knock down the long ball, make difficult shots coming off screens, take a defender to the post, and then can beat his opponent off the dribble and finish at the rim. Not only is he versatile on offense but can also cover multiple positions on defense and use his athletic and physical body to rebound the basketball in traffic. As a result of all these special attributes, Gianni will be an impact player at Boston College very early in his career. Best of all, he will make a positive impact at Boston College that will go well beyond his contribution on the basketball court.
– Vin Pastore, CEO of Mass Rivals AAU
Gianni Thompson has been one of the hardest working guys I have had. He has improved so much over the last few years because he continually showed up to the gym and refused to give up. He’s only scratching the surface of his ability and with his work ethic, it’s only a matter of time before he gets there. The opportunity for a Boston kid – especially one who has gone to school in Chestnut Hill for the last four years – to end up going to Boston College is a dream come true. I am ecstatic that I was apart of his journey.
— Tom Nelson, Head Coach, Brimmer and May
Gianni Thompson is one of the best seniors in New England. He checks a lot of boxes with his size, build, athleticism, and skill-set. He’s a prospect that has continued to get better with each year and that’s a tribute to both his work-ethic but also his coach, Tom Nelson. He’s now a versatile forward who has a terrific pull-up game and can also stretch the floor. I would expect him to be able to play immediate minutes from day one for B.C. and potentially be able to develop into more of an offensive focal point a couple of years down the road.
— Adam Finkelstein, ESPN.com Recruiting Analyst, founder of New England Recruiting Report, and host of The Upside Podcast
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