Mike Boynton Announces Bryce Thompson to Have Surgery, May Miss Rest of the Season
STILLWATER – When Oklahoma State senior guard Bryce Thompson went crashing to the floor in Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night in the early moments of the Cowboys 83-54 loss to No. 8 Kansas the hope was it was just a bruse, maybe a sprain. The truth is Bryce Thompson suffered a partially torn labrum that will require surgery.
“He had the exam done at a hospital in Tulsa and I’ve been in communication with Bryce and his parents yesterday and today,” Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton said. “I’m not a doctor and I don’t know. Obviously, it depends on when they get in there and the severity of the fix. He’s going to miss some significant time and it could be season ending. That is a very strong possibility but I don’t want to predict that before the surgery. I’ll wait until I get a report back after the surgery.”
On the play, Thompson was driving toward the basket and was clearly fouled when the Jayhawks Hunter Dickinson hit him hard on the arm. He then went crashing to the floor and the impact centered on his left elbow and shoulder.
“I hate it for him because he is really one of the hardest working kids that I’ve every been around,” Boynton added. “He really cares about this school and this program, obviously being an in-state kid he wants to represent this program. Obviously it effects our team as he is the most experienced guy on a team that was already inexperienced for the most part. Life sometimes throws you curve balls and you have to be ready to adapt.”
Boynton felt that the surgery would likely happen as soon as tomorrow, and if not then, then on Monday.
The players that came in and met with the media on their regular Thursday appearance were John-Michael Wright and freshman Brandon Garrison. That duo was somewhat mundane and likely because they knew about the loss of Thompson.
Thompson on the season was averaging 12.2 points and 2.0 rebounds a game. He was shooting 40 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three, and 67 percent from the three-point line. He was averaging less than a steal a game and 1.2 assists a game. Boynton did say he was a key defensder and that may be where he is missed the most.
“He is a lot to start with because what he does for us is what we need on the floor,” Boynton explained. “We talk about match-ups but then we don’t a bunch of other guys capable of having that kind of impact on our team. To your point about match-ups it will be very much based on match-ups. That has been the achillies heel of this team is defensive presence.”
Thompson had shown the ability to have that defensive presence and guarded the other team’s top scorer.