A neutral party in the Bedlam rivalry, Rod Thompson loves to hear the chatter when his children, Bryce and Sydney, are both at home.
Sydney Thompson is a junior volleyball player at OU. And older brother Bryce is an Oklahoma State basketball player.
“Sydney is a little feisty,” Rod said with a laugh. “She’s always letting Bryce know it’s ‘Boomer.’ And Bryce is ‘Go Pokes.’
“We just feel blessed to have two athletes at two great institutions.”
Rod, of course, was a Tulsa basketball player, and his wife, Goldie, played volleyball there as well. So they stay in the middle ground, but enjoy the chirping that comes with having an athlete on each side of the state’s great rivalry.
Yet it’ll never be quite the same as this weekend.
When OSU and OU meet in the men’s basketball edition of Bedlam at 7 p.m. Saturday at Paycom Center, it’ll be the last such matchup for Bryce, who is in his final season of eligibility at OSU.
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“There’s been a little bit of trash talk,” Bryce said of his sister. “I think she wants me to win, but there’s a little small rivalry there.”
It feels odd for the Thompsons knowing this will be Bryce’s final Bedlam, now that the game has become a non-conference meeting.
“It’s a little bittersweet, knowing it’ll be the last one,” Rod said. “Being from the state, we know how great these games can be.
“We’re just thankful to be a part of it.”
If OSU (6-2) is going to take down the undefeated and 13th-ranked Sooners (9-0), Bryce likely will play a large role.
The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 11.3 points and just a hair under two assists per game, leading the team in minutes as a consistent veteran voice on the court.
“Bryce has been fantastic,” first-year Cowboy coach Steve Lutz said. “He’s a steadying force. He knows when and where to pick his battles in terms of when to go score the basketball. He’s gotten better defensively.
“I need him to continue to evolve as a leader, because he has an opportunity to be a great one.”
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Bryce has never played in an offensive style as fast-paced as Lutz’s, but he appeared to quickly find a comfort in the attacking scheme.
“He’s a good basketball player,” Lutz said. “The way I look at the way we play is if you’re a good basketball player, you’re gonna be fine. Ultimately, we don’t run a million set plays. So if you know how to play basketball, we’re gonna put you in positions to be successful and I knew he’s a good player, so I never had any doubts there.”
In past years, with a lack of depth at point guard, Bryce had been asked to share that role at times. But with others in line for those duties, he can settle into a more traditional shooting guard role, which has allowed his offensive game to blossom.
Among Cowboys with more than 10 attempts from 3-point range, he has the second-best percentage at 40.9% (9 of 22). And he’s still sharing the ball, with a nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“It was a smooth adjustment,” Bryce said. “I watched a lot of film with our coaches to figure out my spots and where to be and how to impact the game. I think I’ve done a good job up to this point, but there’s always room for growth.”
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Beyond the Bedlam aspect, a win over a top-15 team at a neutral site would be valuable down the line if the Cowboys put themselves in position for NCAA Tournament talk.
But they can’t take time to look that far ahead.
For now, Bryce knows he needs to relish the moment of his final Bedlam, expecting a large contingent of family and friends — including Sydney, who might be wearing crimson but cheering for her brother in orange.
“It means a lot,” Bryce said. “We understand the tradition of us playing each other and the rivalry and going back and forth. Down the line, it’ll be something that you talk to your kids about.”
OU vs. OSU
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Saturday at Paycom Center (ESPNU)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bedlam rivalry burns hot for family of OSU basketball’s Bryce Thompson
