Surrounded by his Bulldog teammates and Coach Aaron Mills, Nyssa senior Boston Thompson made his post-high school plans official: He will attend Western Oregon University. (The Enterprise/John L. Braese)
NYSSA – Nyssa’s Boston Thompson is taking his high flying playing style and dunks to Monmouth.
Flanked by family and teammates, Thompson formally signed his letter of intent for Western Oregon University on Wednesday in the hallway just outside the Nyssa gym, a place Thompson has spent hours.
“Western just seemed a great fit,” Thompson said. “The coaches were great, and they have a great program.”
Thompson said he visited the university twice, the most recent just a few weeks ago. After this last visit, he made the decision after also looking at Lane Community College.
Thompson joins the Wolves, a team that finished with a 31-2 overall record but is losing seniors.
“We will lose a lot of guys to graduation,” said Western Oregon Coach Jim Shaw. “We needed to find a couple guys and we think Boston is one of those.”
Where, how and when Thompson will be used on the Wolves’ team is yet to be determined, according to Shaw.
“We definitely see him as a shot blocker and he can shoot from the outside,” said Shaw. “While we would like to afford him the luxury of red-shirting his freshman year, injuries and other things come into play. We may need him right off.”
Shaw said Thompson needs to put on some weight on his 6 feet, 8-inch frame.
“It is tough to find the right combination of height and weight, but we recognize his athleticism,” said Shaw. “We see his best days of basketball in front of him.”
Reporter John L. Braese: [email protected], 541-473-3377.
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