Clemson Basketball and Head Coach Brad Brownell extended an offer to their first five-star recruit of the 2026 class this past Thursday, Anthony Thompson.
Thompson is a six-foot-seven, 185-pound small forward with a seven-foot-two wingspan who now attends Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio.
Thompson ranks as the No. 22 player nationally, the No. 8 player at his position, and the No. 2 player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2026, per 247Sports. As of right now, he holds 25 other offers from schools that include Purdue, Michigan State, Alabama, Illinois, Marquette, and Auburn, among others.
Before transferring to Western Reserve Academy over the offseason, as a starting sophomore for Lebanon High School’s varsity squad, Thomspon averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game and led his team to the second round of the OHSAA Tournament.
He finished the year earning accolades that include a Division I honorable mention all-state selection, a third-team all-Southwest District team selection, and a first-team all-Eastern-Cincinnati Conference selection.
These weren’t earned overnight, though; the lengthy forward went from unranked to a top 25 national prospect within just a few months since the new year started. He went through a huge growth spurt within a year and has also bulked up, making him more versatile on the court.
“Last AAU season, I was probably around 6’4, 155 pounds; now I’m 6’7, 6’8, and I’m getting up to 185 now… I feel like I’ve gotten a lot quicker; my defense has gotten a lot better; I feel like I’ve transitioned to a small forward; last year, I was more of a shooting guard…I feel like I can do anything on the court now.”
Anthony Thompson
The silky lefty displayed all of his capabilities during this past AAU season with the Indiana Elite 16U team of the Adidas SSB3 16U Circuit; his developing defensive ability and IQ, together with his attacking abilities and quickness, makes him, in my opinion, one of the players with the highest ceiling in the 2026 class.
In the Adidas 3SSB Championship week-long event, Thompson was one of the most efficient players, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds on 59% from the field and 54% from three. But, this wasn’t a surprise to many as he was the second most efficient player in the 3SSB 16U Circuit overall.
With Thompson’s gifted athletic abilities, recent growth spurt, and skill-set on both sides of the ball; I expect him to be one of the most sought out prospects in this class when it’s all said and done, if he isn’t already.
