Gary Thompson (1997) - Hall of Fame

Gary Thompson

Gary Thompson

Basketball/Baseball
Roland, Iowa

First multi-sport All-American (basketball and baseball) in Iowa State history
The school’s first 1,000-point scorer in basketball, Thompson averaged 19.1 points as a junior and 20.1 as a senior
Led his team to a school-record 18 wins – including an epic upset of Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas team – in 1957
Scored 40 points (then ISU record) vs. unbeaten and No. 8 Vanderbilt as a junior
“Inch for inch, Gary Thompson is probably as good a player as the Big Seven has ever seen” – Kansas Coach Phog Allen
All-America shortstop hit .311 as a senior and led ISU to a third-place finish in the College World Series
Provided color commentary – alongside Jay Randolph – on the Big Eight “Game of the Week” for 19 years