Alexandria senior Chase Thompson, one of the state’s top two-sport athletes, made it clear he’ll play college basketball next season with his commitment Sunday to Clemson.
The 6-8, 215-pound forward said he picked the Tigers over Iowa. He took official visits to both programs this month, but his trip last weekend to upstate South Carolina sealed the decision.
“As I was leaving Clemson, I said I’ve got to be back here,” Thompson told the Star Tribune on Sunday. “I took a couple days to think about it and let the excitement of the visit wear off a little bit. But I knew it was Clemson.”
Thompson enjoyed the atmosphere at Clemson’s home football game against North Carolina State. He expects the men’s basketball team to pack the arena, too. Tigers coach Brad Brownell led them to the NCAA Elite Eight last season.
“It honestly reminds me a lot of Alexandria,” he said. “Everyone here is about our high school and our activities. When I was at Clemson, there were 85,000 people at the football game and it was a sellout. They already sold out for [student] season ticket holders for basketball. All the little things with academics as well added up.”
Thompson, the younger brother of former Gophers player Treyton Thompson, ranks as a four-star prospect and the 94th player nationally in the 2025 Class by Rivals.com and a three-star prospect and No. 2 senior in Minnesota by 247Sports.com.
Last season, Thompson teamed up with Gophers recruit Grayson Grove to lead Alexandria to a fourth place finish in the Class 3A state tournament. He led the Cardinals with 19.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a junior in 2023-24.
As a senior quarterback this fall, Thompson has thrown for 1,285 yards with 16 touchdown passes with no interceptions for 5-0 Alexandria. Thompson threw six touchdown passes — four to junior split end Mason Witt — and ran for a seventh score as the Class 5A, No. 1-ranked Cardinals overwhelmed Brainered, 55-17, on Friday.
