Recruiting Report: Carly Thompson, Cherry Creek 2020

If Carly Thompson played for 30 or so other teams besides defending Class 5A state champion Cherry Creek, she’d probably be that team's second-leading scorer purely off playing time and being featured in more of a scoring role. That’s one of the few drawbacks to being a good player on a great team and a sacrifice many would gladly make if it meant winning a state title. Still, Thompson’s contributions to the Bruins’ cause have not gone unnoticed and her recruitment is gaining some traction heading into her senior season. The 6-foot-1 senior forward recently received an offer from Western Colorado and has visited several Division-III schools outside of Colorado. “She kind of started out as a kid who didn’t want to stay in Colorado but I think she’s coming around to the idea,” Cherry Creek head coach Clint Evans said. “I definitely think she can play D-II in the RMAC but it really comes down to if that’s where she wants to be. She’s a kid that’s really looking for the right fit.” Thompson will play the stretch four this season for Cherry Creek and Evans said she would be a good fit in a program that likes to run the floor. She is athletic in transition and shoots the three well for a six-footer, and is also a good defender and a decent offensive rebounder. As a junior in 2018-19, Thompson averaged 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist and nearly a steal per game. She did that in a lineup that features two of the state’s best players in Jana Van Gytenbeek (Stanford) and Cali Clark (Colorado State), as well as a talented rotation that defeated powerhouse Grandview, 51-49, in last year’s state championship game. Thompson played club for BC Denver this past summer.