Over the weekend Greeneville’s Trey Thompson surprised much of the college basketball world. After being courted by many of the nation’s top programs Thompson, a junior, announced that he was committing to the University of Iowa, and that he was reclassifying to the Class of 2025.
“Coach (Ben) McCollum gave me a huge opportunity to make an impact in a Hawkeye uniform this year, and after going up there and visiting I felt like I really fit in with he coaching staff and community,” Thompson said. “This is definitely something I’m excited about. This past week has been stressful, but super exciting at the same time. Iowa is a good place, a good culture, a good atmosphere and I’m ready to get to work. The community really reminds of Greeneville, everybody is a Hawkeye fan, and I’m excited to get there.”
Initially Thompson had no plans to leave Greeneville early, but when Iowa coach Ben McCollum pitched the idea in passing while the 6’8” forward was on a visit it gave him something to think about. Ultimately Thompson decided that the best way for his game to develop was not playing against high-school competition this winter but to instead jumping into the Big Ten.
“I love Greeneville. I love coach (Brad) Woolsey. He and coach (Josh) Bennett and coach (Nathan) Hale have really pushed me to be the best version of myself,” Thompson said. “I have a dream and passion for basketball and I want to play professionally one day. I felt like the path to do that faster was playing in Big Ten as a 17-year old, instead of playing in high school. I want to compete at the highest level, and that was the big decision maker for me.”
He knows that as a 17-year old playing against 22 or 23-year old college veterans will be a challenge, but he is excited for the opportunity and the Hawkeyes feel that he is up to the task.
“I’m going to be headed up there in a couple of days actually, and that’s going to be really important,” Thompson said. “I’ve got to get up there and start fighting through the adversity now, and then hopefully by November I’ll be ready. My weaknesses will be exposed early, but I think I’ll be able to adapt to the pace of the game and playing against bigger guys. I’ve always had success adapting to different environments, but this will be the toughest.”
Speeding up his collegiate timeline has not been without challenges. First Thompson had to decide that he wanted to reclassify in a matter of days, and then he had to make sure his academics were in order to start college a year early. That has meant taking courses at Greeneville and ETSU over the summer so he can be ready to enroll at Iowa in August.
Thompson was set to be one the nation’s top recruits in the class of 2026 with offers from Final Four contenders like Tennessee, Alabama and Purdue, as well blue-blood program’s like UConn, Indiana and Kansas. He was a top 100 recruit in the nation according to multiple service, and dubbed a four-star prospect.
Initially it was a tough decision to turn down those types of offers, especially from Kansas, a program he had long dreamed of playing for. But the Hawkeyes were able to convince Thompson that starting his college journey in Iowa City early gave him a path to quick success.
“This recruiting process really was a dream come true,” Thompson said. “My dream school was Kansas. I grew up a Kansas Jayhawk fan and being offered by them was really neat. Talking with Kentucky, getting offered by Tennessee, dreams were becoming a reality. It has been a heck of a ride. These were all great programs that have tons of success, but the fit at Iowa felt right.”
Iowa went 17-16 this past season and has not been in the NCAA Tournament since 2023, but in March they hired McCollum to take over the program. McCollum won four Division II national championships at Norwest Missouri State, 2017,2019, 2021 and 2022. He then moved on to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and led the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record this past season while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
McCollum has won nearly 82-percent of his games in his 16-year head coaching career. He runs a system that Thompson feels fits him perfectly, and that was a big part of why the former Greene Devil made the jump to Iowa early.
“Coach McCollum could have filled my spot in the transfer portal of with a guy already in the 2025 class, but he kind of joked on my visit that he would like to bring me in now. He offered me their last open scholarship and told me he felt like I could play an important role early,” Thompson said. “When you look at coach McCollum’s teams there are three or four guys like me on the floor. He like’s guys that are 6’6” to 6’9” that play fundamental basketball. They can shoot, pass and know the game. His teams don’t wow you with athleticism, but they know how to play basketball. That was one of the main factors for me, the fit.”
Thompson will join a new-look Iowa program that has brought in seven transfers, six from Drake, and four high school recruits over the offseason.
Thompson will leave Greeneville as the program’s all-time leading scorer and a two-time finalist for Class 3A’s Mr. Basketball Award. This past season he helped the Greene Devils reach the state semifinals, and he will always remember his final game in Hal Henard Gymnasium, a night he scored 30 points in a thrilling win over Knox Carter.
In his junior season Thompson averaged 24.3 points per game, while shooting 44 percent from three-point range, 60 percent from the field, and 81 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while earning All-State honors for the second time.
“That last game in Greeneville is something I’ll never forget. The energy and atmosphere against Knox Carter was unbelievable. The relationships are something I’m never going to forget. Coach Woolsey has been a great mentor, and that will last forever. These coaches have made me a better person, and my teammates have become great friends,” Thompson said.
