May 8, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue men's basketball rising sophomore guard P.J. Thompsonhas been chosen to compete with the USA Eagles, a collegiate select team that will play exhibition games against professional teams in China and Mongolia.
The trip will begin with a five-day training camp in Dayton, Ohio, on May 23 and will depart from China on May 28, before returning to America on June 9.
"This is a really big opportunity for me to get better as a leader on and off the court and to gain great experience while seeing a different part of the world," Thompson said. "This will only help me get ready and prepare for the upcoming season."
Thompson will be one of approximately 10 collegiate players from all over the country that will take part in the exhibition tour, which is beneficial for players that "want to use basketball as a chance to grow leadership and character development. Many different players and coaches from all over the country will be coming together with one goal and that is to understand what their role is as leaders," trip organizer Luke Simons said.
The team will play six or seven games against squads from the Chinese Basketball Association. The league has produced NBA players Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer and Yi Jianlian. A limited number of foreign players are allowed for each team and have included NBA All-Stars Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Gilbert Arenas and Tracy McGrady in addition to CBA All-Stars Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Aaron Brooks.
As a freshman in 2014-15, Thompson appeared in 30 games for the Boilermakers, averaging 2.4 PPG, 1.1 APG and 0.9 RPG in 13.6 minutes per contest, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.74 (33:19). He scored nine points in the Big Ten Tournament against Wisconsin and gave the Boilermakers a spark in the first half of the regular-season finale win over Illinois, finishing with seven points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists in just 14 minutes.
http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/050815aaa.html
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue men's basketball rising sophomore guard P.J. Thompsonhas been chosen to compete with the USA Eagles, a collegiate select team that will play exhibition games against professional teams in China and Mongolia.
The trip will begin with a five-day training camp in Dayton, Ohio, on May 23 and will depart from China on May 28, before returning to America on June 9.
"This is a really big opportunity for me to get better as a leader on and off the court and to gain great experience while seeing a different part of the world," Thompson said. "This will only help me get ready and prepare for the upcoming season."
Thompson will be one of approximately 10 collegiate players from all over the country that will take part in the exhibition tour, which is beneficial for players that "want to use basketball as a chance to grow leadership and character development. Many different players and coaches from all over the country will be coming together with one goal and that is to understand what their role is as leaders," trip organizer Luke Simons said.
The team will play six or seven games against squads from the Chinese Basketball Association. The league has produced NBA players Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer and Yi Jianlian. A limited number of foreign players are allowed for each team and have included NBA All-Stars Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Gilbert Arenas and Tracy McGrady in addition to CBA All-Stars Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Aaron Brooks.
As a freshman in 2014-15, Thompson appeared in 30 games for the Boilermakers, averaging 2.4 PPG, 1.1 APG and 0.9 RPG in 13.6 minutes per contest, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.74 (33:19). He scored nine points in the Big Ten Tournament against Wisconsin and gave the Boilermakers a spark in the first half of the regular-season finale win over Illinois, finishing with seven points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists in just 14 minutes.
http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/050815aaa.html
