Taurean Thompson caught a pass in the low post, backed down his much-smaller defender and set himself up for an easy basket. Then he elevated into the air with the ball glued to one hand and scored the most electrifying basket of his four-game college career.

He then grabbed a defensive board on the other end of the court and on the ensuing Syracuse possession, drew a foul and made both of his free throws.

It was a stretch illuminating that Thompson was 100 percent, fully recovered after landing awkwardly on Paschal Chukwu’s foot with about two minutes remaining in Friday’s game against Monmouth. Thompson finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes in Syracuse’s (4-0) 101-59 win over South Carolina State (1-3) Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome.

Thompson still has much to improve in his defensive game, something SU head coach Jim Boeheim quick to point out after the Monmouth game. But for the third-straight contest, the 6-foot-10 freshman forward scored in double digits.

“He’s a very good offensive player. He’s working on (defense), he’s gotta work on some things,” Boeheim reiterated Tuesday. “It’ll take some time. It’ll take some time.”

Thompson underwent an X-ray on his left foot after leaving Friday’s game, but the results came back negative. He spent the following two days receiving treatment and practiced fully Monday.

On the Bulldogs’ first possession after Thompson subbed in, SCSU’s James Richardson attempted a 3 from the left wing. Thompson slid up to the 3-point arc on the defensive rotation and blocked the shot out of bounds.

Thompson’s job defensively is to alter shots, cut off passing lanes and be swift with his rotations. He improved as Tuesday’s game progressed, he said, mirroring his progression since he arrived at SU. He is more comfortable in the zone, has a better understanding of what he needs to do and has increased his strength and physicality.

Thompson “can’t wait for the bigger games” because he wants to see how he’ll do against tougher competition. That’ll come on Saturday against South Carolina at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

But for now, Thompson had another solid performance on offense while his defense is still a work in progress.

“I’m going to get it soon,” Thompson said.

Published on November 22, 2016 at 11:59 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds