Myles Thompson is a special kid. When you first meet him and talk to him, you can tell he's a coaches dream. Thompson is very approachable and has great manners. On the court, for his opponets at least, he's a terror. Thompson is super aggressive on the glass and attacks the rim with reckless abandon.
Thompson is a kid with layers, which is okay. The good thing about him is he knows when to turn the aggression on and when to turn it off. That level of toughness on the floor is a requirement to play at Camden. "We play a rugged, hard, intense style of basketball," said Thompson. "We don’t play the score. We don’t play soft. We don’t cry about calls on the court. We play through everything. That’s Camden basketball."
Recently we sat down with Myles to discuss expanding his game to the wing, signing to St. Francis (PA), what Camden Basketball is all about and more.
by Christian Mordi - @thedribbledrop on Instagram
TheDribbleDrop: Let’s talk about this off season. This spring/summer, you played AAU basketball. How was that experience?
Myles Thompson: I played for the South Jersey Select this summer. I had a lot of schools interested after a couple good performances this summer. I enjoyed myself a lot. I was pleased with the exposure I got due to the events we played in.
TheDribbleDrop: How would you describe Camden basketball?
Myles Thompson: I would use the word traditional. You have guys like Dajuan Wagner, for example. We play for something bigger than ourselves. We play a rugged, hard, intense style of basketball. We don’t play the score. We don’t play soft. We don’t cry about calls on the court. We play through everything. That’s Camden basketball.
TheDribbleDrop: Camden is the home of Dujaun Wagner. The court is named after him. I heard he normally attends the games. Any cool moments with him or words of advice to you and the program?
Myles Thompson: He’s very involved with the program. He’s there pretty much everyday. He’s constantly giving us words of advice. He’s there for us all on and off the court.
TheDribbleDrop: If you were to highlight one facet of your team that makes you guys stand out, what would it be and why?
Myles Thompson: We like to apply pressure at all times. We look to push in transition and attack. We love to play fast. The pressure of playing that style doesn’t phase us. We’re at our best when we are attacking.
TheDribbleDrop: If you were to highlight one facet of your game that makes you stand out, what would it be and why
Myles Thompson: Playing a balanced game. I like to post up but I worked very hard to get better at creating from the wing. I love getting clean shots off from the mid-range. I look at who ever is matched up against me and take advantage of them based on what the defense gives me.
TheDribbleDrop: Today you played in the Playaz New Years Jump Off Tournament Vs Gil St. Bernard's. Describe the pace of the game and how you guys played.
Myles Thompson: The pace of the game was good. I thought it was fast, which was how we like it. Gil is a good team. They were disciplined on offense in the half court. They always made the extra pass. Even though we lost I felt like we got a lot out of this one. I think the refs call it a bit differently up here. They let you guys play through contact a lot more up here, which I like.
TheDribbleDrop: For the past couple of years you have lost in the Group championship game to West Side. Each game extremely close and exciting. What have you learned from those moments that you will use this year when it matters most.
Myles Thompson: This year we knew our schedule had to be a lot tougher to prepare us for the big games down the stretch. When you get near the end and your playing for a Group championship, you’re facing the best from any part of New Jersey. They may play numerous styles. We knew we had to play different teams from different areas early to prepare us for the playoffs in March.
TheDribbleDrop: Tell me one facet of your game your worked hard to improve on this off-season that you wanted to take to another level.
Myles Thompson: Being a wing. For the longest I was a traditional big for my team. I knew that I would have to play inside and out. I worked a lot on shooting from the perimeter and taking players off the bounce.
TheDribbleDrop: This November you signed to St. Francis (PA) tell us about your recruiting process and why you committed to them.
Myles Thompson: I went with them because I knew it was the place for me. They showed they were truly interested in me for a very long time. They used to always come to my games and tournaments and check in on me. I went up there to see the campus in person and I loved it.
TheDribbleDrop: What’s your personal and team goal for your senior year?
Myles Thompson: The only thing that matters to me is a state championship. I’ve played in the big game numerous times and we came up short. The only thing I’m focused on is winning it all.