Keon Thompson Jr. is no longer a student at Merrillville.
His father, Keon Thompson Sr., confirmed that the star senior is now attending a prep school, the National Top Sports Institute Basketball Academy, in Orlando, Florida.
"He wanted to get out and see if he had the opportunity to possibly get Power 5 offers," Thompson Sr. said. "Plus, it's also just the whole competition level and training aspect on a day-to-day basis. Where he is, they train from (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) every day."
Thompson Jr. currently has Division I scholarship offers from Akron, Ball State, Cleveland State, Drake, Indiana State, Miami (Ohio), New Orleans, Northern Illinois, Robert Morris and Valparaiso.
Last season, Thompson Jr. dominated the hardwood and was named an Indiana Junior All-Star. He averaged 30.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game and helped the Pirates clinch their 20th sectional title before the rest of the boys basketball state tournament was canceled March 19 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Although the 6-foot-2 guard will not finish out his prep career at Merrillville, he has already left his mark. On Jan. 24, Thompson Jr. tied the Pirates' single-game scoring record with 52 points in a home win over Portage. That noteworthy performance, along with many others, also helped him become the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,353 points in three seasons.
Thompson Sr. said it was difficult for his son to part ways with his former team, especially after Merrillville ended the 2019-20 campaign on a high note.
"That was one of the toughest things. That and just leaving everybody in general," Thompson Sr. said. "He understands that he's not going to have the same support system there, so he has to be supported via phone calls and texts."
Thompson Sr. said he weighed the pros and cons of the move with his son, but the choice was ultimately made by Thompson Jr. The two of them flew to the Sunshine State on Saturday, where Thompson Sr. dropped of his child before returning to the Region.
"He's daring to dream," Thompson Sr. said. "He wants to play the best competition, and he wants to be able to get in the gym all of the time. He has a plan, and he's willing to execute it."
Pirates coach Bo Patton declined to comment on Thompson Jr.'s departure.
Full circle
Grayling Gordon is coming home.
In a school board meeting Wednesday night, the School City of East Chicago announced that it has hired Gordon, a 1985 EC Washington graduate, as the new EC Central boys basketball coach.
"There is no place like home, and I'm just glad to be back," Gordon said. "I always wanted to come back, and all I can say is that I'm elated."
Gordon was the Griffith boys basketball coach for the last three seasons and guided the Panthers to a 45-27 record. But, after Griffith eliminated his position as the dean of students, he accepted a new job as a physical education teacher at EC Central.
Griffith would have allowed Gordon to continue leading its boys basketball program. However, he thought it would be easier to have his full-time job and coaching gig at the same school.
Gordon will replace Marcus Jefferson, who was let go in April. Jefferson was a star player for the Cardinals in the late 1990s but posted a 34-35 record during his three-year tenure as a coach at EC Central.
"With this new group, I just want passion and for them to make every moment matter," Gordon said. "When you have passion, it will lead to intensity. Everything is about caring, so how much do you care? You have to show these young people that you care about them greatly."