John "Cat" Thompson

A high school phenomenon, John Thompson did not slow down when he hit the college courts. Leading Dixie High School to the Utah state championship and a second place finish in the 1925 High School National Tournament in Chicago, Thompson progressed to become one of the nation’s top players at Montana State, piloting the Golden Bobcats to a 102-11 record in three seasons. Clever, quick, and beautifully conditioned, Montana State coach G. Ott Romney nicknamed Thompson “The Cat.” The three-time All-Rocky Mountain Conference selection averaged 15.4 points a game for his career at a time when the national team scoring average was 40 points. In three seasons, The Cat scored an amazing 1,539 points in 100 collegiate games and finished his career as Montana State’s all-time leading scorer. Thompson was ahead of his time and his scoring prowess moved the game of basketball forward.