Jason Thompson -- 2008 All-America Candidate -- Rider Univesity

October 31, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rider’s Thompson on 2007-08 CollegeInsider.com Preseason All-America Team

LAWRENCEVILLE—No longer sitting at the kiddy table, Rider University’s Jason Thompson is now playing with the big boys. Last season Thompson was named to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-America team. This year the ‘Mid-Major’ is missing from the team name. “It is always great to see one of our players get recognized,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.

A 6’11” 250 pound senior forward, Thompson is the 2007-08 Preseason Player of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Thompson is the only player in Division I this season that averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last year.

CollegeInsider.com did not make a first or second team, just one All-America team consisting of 21 players, and a separate Mid-Major All-America team. Division I coaches and NBA scouts were part of the selection process, as well as the collegeinsider.com staff.

Players from North Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Memphis and Michigan State are grouped in with Rider on the Preseason All-America team.

Thompson will meet one member of the Preseason All-America team, Brandon Costner of North Carolina State, when Rider and the Wolf Pack meet Thanksgiving Day on ESPN2.

“Jason has done everything he was supposed to do since he arrived at Rider and this year he is determined to make his senior year a special season,” Dempsey said. “We are all extremely excited to get things started.”

The season begins at Murray State November 10, and the home opener is November 17 against Delaware.

Thompson enters his senior year with 1,346 career points, 11th highest ever at Rider, and 759 rebounds, sixth highest ever at Rider.
Earlier this month Thompson was named to the Collegehoops.net Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team

CollegeInsider.com Preseason All-America Team
D.J. Augustin G 6-0 So. Texas
Chase Budinger F 6-7 So. Arizona
Darren Collison G 6-1 Jr. UCLA
Brandon Costner F 6-9 So. NC State
Stephen Curry G 6-0 So. Davidson
Chris Douglas-Roberts G/F 6-6 Jr. Memphis
Jamont Gordon G/F 6-4 Jr. Mississippi State
Tyler Hansbrough F 6-9 Jr. North Carolina
Josh Heytvelt F 6-11 Jr. Gonzaga
Roy Hibbert C 7-2 Sr. Georgetown
Dominic James G 5-11 Jr. Marquette
Ty Lawson G 5-11 So. North Carolina
Chris Lofton G 6-2 Sr. Tennessee
Eric Maynor G 6-2 Jr. VCU
Drew Neitzel G 6-0 Sr. Michigan State
Jeff Pendergraph F 6-9 Jr. Arizona State
Brandon Rush G 6-6 Jr. Kansas
Sean Singletary G 6-0 Sr. Virginia
Jason Thompson F 6-11 Sr. Rider
D.J. White F 6-9 Sr. Indiana
Martin Zeno F 6-5 Sr. Texas Tech.

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