Trey Thompkins says he’ll skip NBA draft, remain at UGA
ATHENS -– Georgia sophomore forward Trey Thompkins has made his decision: He’ll forgo the NBA draft and remain at UGA for his junior season in 2010-11.
Thompkins revealed the decision in impromptu fashion Thursday night at the UGA Tipoff Club’s end-of-season banquet at Athens Country Club.
“Don’t worry, Coach, I’m coming back,” Thompkins said when coach Mark Fox alluded from the podium to the stay-or-go decision facing the first-team All-SEC player.
Thompkins’ words drew a long, loud ovation from the crowd of 200-plus and this reaction from an unsuspecting Fox: “God bless you, Trey.”
Thompkins, Georgia’s leading scorer and rebounder this past season, said in an interview immediately following the banquet that his decision is firm and final, although the deadline to enter the draft is 10 days away.
“I’m coming back,” he said.
Thompkins had been considering for the past month whether to enter the draft or remain at Georgia for another season. He said he reached his decision late Wednesday night.
“I was sitting in my room, thinking,” he said. “I was up in the air until [then]. It hit me that I want to stay in school. . . . It just popped in my head last night.”
Thompkins said he didn’t alert Fox or anyone else that he might reveal the decision at the banquet.
“My parents didn’t even know that was going to happen,” Thompkins said. “Coach just made it easy for me to announce it, so I did.”
Fox unwittingly triggered Thompkins’ announcement by referring to a comment made earlier in the banquet by assistant coach Stacey Palmore, who had said he was looking forward to having Thompkins back. “Now, Coach Palmore was calling you out about next year,” Fox said. “I’m not going to do that.”
At that point, Thompkins ended the suspense.
“I was shocked/not shocked when he said it,” Fox said. “Because in my heart that’s what I felt like he would probably do in the end, but I was surprised that he mentioned it tonight.”
Fox said he is proud of how maturely Thompkins handled the decision-making process, especially as many underclassmen less accomplished than him declared for the draft in recent weeks. Thompkins was second in the SEC in scoring (17.7 points per game) and fourth in rebounds (8.3 per game) this past season.
“You see it on the ticker every night. There’s somebody else on the ticker [entering the draft], and you’re scratching your head,” Fox said. “Then you see a guy who has a legitimate chance and a legitimate decision to make, and he makes a mature one like that. It makes you feel good.”
A big factor in the decision, Thompkins said, is the potential he sees for the 2010-11 Georgia basketball team. Teammate Travis Leslie, the Dogs’ second leading scorer this past season, earlier announced he also will return for his junior year.
“This team can be great,” Thompkins said. “I’ve got a passion to win, and I definitely see it in the future for us.”
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342 comments Add your comment
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
10:46 am
And who gives a crap about college baseball…WERE ALL BRAVES FANS IN THESE PARTS!
Dave In Tampa
April 16th, 2010
10:47 am
I saw where one Techie told us to calm down and win the SEC First. OK, how about 2 years ago on the “Nerd Herd’s” floor. And the last time Tech won it’s League Championship??
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:48 am
Oowh Kevin, you’re getting me all excited talkin about my backseat!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:48 am
Hey Kev, when you are as bad as ugay, PROMISE IS ALL YOU HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:52 am
Now, if Coach Johnson would just punch me in tha a$$ just a little, my day would be complete!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:52 am
Kevin said it’s NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE AN ugay FAN! THEY JUST CAME IN LAST PLACE, AGAIN!!!!!!! TALK ABOUT STANDARDS!!!!!!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:54 am
Now if Richt could just do something with all that talent, YOUR DAY WOULD BE COMPLETE!!!!!!!!
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
10:54 am
You Tech fans are such LOSERS. You all live in the past and repeat the same things over and over and over. Lets look at NOW. Your basketball team consists of nothing but average guards that can’t shoot worth a crap. Your football team lost all of its stars, and that gimmicky offense will be exposed next year, just like GEORGIA exposed it last year. Shut your nerdy mouths and stop talking about the national championships you won before the Truman administration. Losers.
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:55 am
UGAY: low standards in academics AND athletics!!!!!!!!!!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:57 am
Your BB team consists of…………NOTHING AT ALL!!!!!!
SEC East Headlines – 4/16/10 « MrSEC.com
April 16th, 2010
10:58 am
[...] Warren Belin is a top-notch teacher. (Well he did come from Vanderbilt.)5. Trey Thompkins says next year’s basketball Dawgs “can be great.”6. Tony Barnhart of The AJC likes the NCAA’s new taunting rule… which means this is [...]
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
10:59 am
You would LOVE for us to stop talking about them, then we would be just like you NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
harold
April 16th, 2010
11:03 am
HE COULD BE JEPARDIZING A TON OF MONEY ACCORDING TO NBA SCOUTS. MAY WHO WAIT LOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. PLUS GEORGIA BASKETBALL JUST PLAIN SUCKS AND THAT COULD COST HIM MONEY TOO! IT ISN’T TOO LATE FOR HIM TO REALIZE THAT STAYING WILL COST HIM MONEY! BIG MONEY!
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
11:05 am
Well sure did handle you guys last year in Basketball didnt we? God, I would hate to wake up and know that Paul Hewitt was our head BB coach everyday. We will roll you guys in BB next year, and if think yall are gonna come between the hedges next year and win, YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND.
I’m not here to talk trash on Tech, my father attended Tech and I was raised by a Tech fan. I pull for Tech when they arent playing Georgia, BUT I DO HATE ALL THE IDIOTS LIKE YOU THAT GET ON HERE AND TALK TRASH AND TRY TO BRING DOWN UGA AND THEIR PLAYERS AND STUDENTS. YOU GUYS ARE PATHETIC AND HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO BUT WISH YOU A GEORGIA BULLDOG!
James Pyle
April 16th, 2010
11:08 am
Who in hell is this “sophomore” who is threatening to “go Pro” because he is a SEC team outstanding player? This is another of those who “gimmie, giummie, gimmeie. All they can to get out of UGA, without having to “pay back the terms of their athletic scholarship, which is produce for us in exchange for an education. Let those kinds of players go back home or where ever. They aren’t worth the money and time spent to try and keep them in school. Same goes for athletes in any other sport. The athlete either wants to be there or he doesn’t. No in between.Unknown to athletes, UGA is not a training ground for the Pros. Players are recruited at UGA so UGA can have successful sports programs. A few years ago, another player caused all sorts of grief to UGA and the basketball Coach for sexual abuse of females, prior to his coming to Athens and after he arrived. He was recruited even though the UGA coach knew he had been kicked out of the first college for the same offense he was later accused of which led to his dismissal. Great guy. It only cost the school much advertisements and caused him to finally, after two years, to be kicked out. Cost the coach his job, also.
Hey Kevin
April 16th, 2010
11:10 am
Hey Kevin, Don’t let this idiot get under your skin, cause that’s all he wants anyway. He probably doesn’t go to Tech, and if he does, it certainly doesn’t say much about their standards.
Dave In Tampa
April 16th, 2010
11:11 am
Gang, if no one recognizes “4 ncs” he will go away. I laugh at it personally. He has waited for over a year to jump on anything that has to do with beating UGA. Tech did stomp us. Congrats! This is a Basketball blog. OH, we won that one as well didn’t we. I soooo look forward to them coming up to Athens this year. I remember the last time tech came to athens after beating UGA 2 years prior on our field. Can anyone say “What time is it” 51 to 7.
I know alot of Tech people and the majority of them are no like this tool. Let’s just ignore him/her from here on out!
GO DAWGS!
dawgdawgdawg
April 16th, 2010
11:12 am
How can all of you idiot Techies say that Thompkins is a “mediocre” player? Look at his stats from last year and looked where he ranked in scoring in the SEC. If he played for any team other than UGA, you would be loving the guy. It’s also funny how you guys jump all over our sports teams when we have 1 bad year (compared to your decades of being irrelevant in ANY sport). We had a bad year in football last year, I admit that, but we still BEAT YOU. We are trying to establish/turn around a basketball program, yet we still BEAT YOU. You killed us in baseball the other night…good job! Look at our baseball record for the past decade and look at yours.
Karl
April 16th, 2010
11:13 am
Wow. That is sooooo great. Oh, we all know what dogs eat don”t we?
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:15 am
Yeah Kev, I bet you would just hate to wake up and know your BB team was going to the NCAA, signing five star recruits, and winning twenty plus! Right!
dawgdawgdawg
April 16th, 2010
11:17 am
How can any of you idiot Techies say Thompkins is a mediocre player? Look at his stats and where he ranked in the SEC this past season. Better yet, actually watch him play. You probably haven’t even seen him play, you just drill him because he’s from UGA. If he played at any other school, you wouldn’t be so quick to call him mediocre. It kills me how you think you dominate UGA in every sport now! I admit, we had a bad football season last year – but we still BEAT YOU. Our basketball program is trying to rebuild/grow, and we still BEAT YOU. You killed us in baseball the other night – great job! Look at our baseball record over the past decade and compare it to yours. You guys are a freakin’ joke.
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:19 am
Dawg, if you could read, maybe YOU should do some looking!
Bruce Mac
April 16th, 2010
11:20 am
Thompkins was All SEC, Yech fans know this is bad news for them. Why else do you think they post the baseball score (like it matters). Great day to be GA BULLDAWG. Thompkins back and the best receiver in the state commits to UGA. Yeeeee Haaaaa.
tw3a
April 16th, 2010
11:21 am
Tompkins is just a class act,
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
11:27 am
At least our basketball team can exceed expectations. With all the talent that has come through techs basketball program in the last 5 years, you have two tournament wins to show for it. I’m man enough to say that our basketball team has sucked in the past and right now tech has the better basketball program. But lets look to next year…Georgia looks like a much better team than tech is gonna be able to field.
4 ncs., you can have all your bullsh!t National championships from the 50s and before. You know what, as a UGA fan, ill take 9 out of 10 against yall in football, and 2 of 3 in basketball.
RT
April 16th, 2010
11:30 am
Kevin – Ignore that twerp. You are doing exactly as he wants to to do!
RT
April 16th, 2010
11:31 am
Correction – “You are doing exactly what he wants YOU to do”
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
11:33 am
Your right RT…im done.
RT
April 16th, 2010
11:34 am
Dude – Just consider the source and laugh at her! Go Dawgs!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:44 am
Kevin, I know you are still reading this. Kevin, think about what you just said,”ugay looks like a bettew team than TECH”. Really? For your edification, ugay doesn’t look better than ANYONE. Thanks for admitting that we have the better team, we do! Also, TECH has a more recent NC than ugay’s ONLY one. If ugay had them I promise you, you would be talking about them, and so would your little buddys on here. Maybe one day you will MAN enough to admit THAT! If you take Chan out of the picture GT has won 4 of 6! You run Chan, WE run you!!!!!!
Kevin
April 16th, 2010
11:46 am
HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Is this guy serious?
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:51 am
Kevin, I thought you were done? Truth hurts, doesn’t it?
Reggie Ball
April 16th, 2010
11:52 am
25-6, is very disappointing. We should have scored at least 10 more runs. You have the worst pitching staff in the history of college baseball. I don’t know of a single Class AAAAA high school team in this area that would not beat you like a drum. LMAO
Chan Gailey
April 16th, 2010
11:53 am
I should have coached baseball. Your team stinks.
Stinger
April 16th, 2010
11:54 am
Even Reggie and Chan recognize how pathetic your baseball team is. We Own this State.
Bruce Mac
April 16th, 2010
11:54 am
UGA has five Football MNC and noone is running there mouth about it. It really doesn’t make you feel better when you lose 8 out of 9 times you play does it?
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:57 am
Bruce, the NCAA says you have only one. And you need to learn how to use the word there.
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
11:59 am
They are not running THIER mouths about them because they don’t exist, except in your little brain.
Stinger
April 16th, 2010
12:01 pm
If UGA has 5 National Championships, Tech has 20. We have 4 times as many as you. You have NOONE in the last 30 yrs.
Taylor
April 16th, 2010
12:01 pm
Good lord, I get on here and its pure garbage. We desperately need a moderator and a registration process. I am not sure how TT is mediocre if he was unanimous first team SEC. As for the baseball game goes, who really cares? UGA is something like 10 games under 500 and Tech is in the top 5, is it much of surprise it was a blow out?
Michael Foster
April 16th, 2010
12:02 pm
Cool Tech fans…college baseball? really? any good baseball players go straight to the MLB from highschool. Therefore there is no reason to give a flying poop about a college baseball team…unless they are playing in the national title series, which I admit to following tightly a few summers ago when Georgia made that run.
There are two sports that matter…football, and basketball…and not only did u get beat in both this past season, we are going to stomp you again this year!
Because are players are coming back to school! While Lawal and Favors ditched! Thompkins will be one of the best players in the country…Leslie will be a human highlight film. You’re screwed for next year! We are going to woop yalls tails!
Bruce Mac
April 16th, 2010
12:03 pm
Sorry about my wordiing, went to UGA and that is handicap you know. The NCAA does not recognize National Championships in Football so you do not know what you are talking about. UGA has been recognized five times by major media sources as National Champions (Mythical as they all are). But just keep losing to UGA and living in your dream world if it works for you.
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
12:04 pm
Taylor, if you had won YOU WOULD HAVE CARED. If you had 4 NCs YOU WOULD CARE.
Taylor
April 16th, 2010
12:06 pm
I mean it’d be cool if we won, but college baseball just is not that big of a deal to me. The team is horrible, so it was not a big surprise to me. What does 4 Ncs have to do with Trey Thompkins? People can never stay on topic on these things. This is about basketball, not baseball, not football. BASKETBALL. Crap on him all you want, but people that are in the know have high praise on TT as well as Leslie. Leslie is all athlete right now and needs to develop a shot though
Taylor
April 16th, 2010
12:09 pm
I just cannot really care about NCs that happened before my parents were born minus the 1990 one, I know you are going to try the “well you haven’t won one since 1980 bahaahahahah”
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
12:09 pm
TECH could count a lot more, but WE ONLY COUNT THE REAL ONES!!!!!!!!!!!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
12:11 pm
Taylor, I tell you what ugay needs to develop………some wins!!!!!!!!!!!!
Taylor
April 16th, 2010
12:11 pm
Yes we get it, you could count more blah blah blah. Are you capable of a reasonable sports conversation, or are you just here to start arguments?
Taylor
April 16th, 2010
12:14 pm
So everything is just going to be a put down and a joke with you huh? Okay that’s fine, you give Tech fans a really bad name. I know quite a few that are reasonable, and why we may like different programs, they are still easy to talk to and do not just spit out garbage. I guess things are different on the internet though. Maybe you’d be cooler in person?
4 ncs are better than 1
April 16th, 2010
12:16 pm
I’m not starting arguments, just stating FACTS that ugay fans have a hard time accepting.