Roaring Lions Land Local Point Guard

Lemont Furnace, PA—The men's basketball team at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus,  landed local point guard Griffin Thompson, a senior from Connellsville. Thompson is the second recruit to sign with the Roaring Lions for the 2015-16 basketball season.

"We're very excited at the opportunity to have Griffin become a part of the Roaring Lion family," commented Head Coach Mookie John. John added, "His coaches, teachers, and administrators speak highly of his character and work ethic. He's a student first, then an athlete, and he is the epitome of a team player."

Under Connellsville High School's first-year Head Coach Andrew Hedrick, Thompson averaged 11 points and three assists per game, earning himself a Fayette County Coaches Association All-County Team Award. "Griffin is a hard worker and a leader. I wish I had the opportunity to coach him more than one season," remarked Hedrick.

"When I saw him play Laurel Highlands, he looked like he was a different kind of player, almost like he separated himself from the rest of the game," said Fayette Assistant Coach Jajuan Davis, who then added, "He has a great chance to learn how to transition from the high school game to the collegiate game.  Griffin has the same path laid out for him that (Junior Honorable Mention All-American CJ) Gaddis had when he studied behind James Pratt." 

Thompson joins a team that is losing three seniors to graduation and returning three starters.  Entering the 2015-16 campaign, the Roaring Lions have high expectations, having advanced to the quarterfinals of this year's USCAA National Championship Tournament, where they faced the eventual champion, Berkeley College of New York.