"He plays weak": Hoops fans react to 16-year-old Anthony Thompson going from unranked to 5-star prospect

Ranking websites overlooked Anthony Thompson when he first came to the scene. This changed after 247Sports updated its rankings and placed Thompson from being an unranked member of the Class of 2026 to being one of the Top 10 prospects from his class.

Anthony Thompson, who plays the small forward position for Western Reserve High School, went from unstarred and unranked to a five-star prospect ranked No. 9 overall, the No. 3 small forward, and the No. 1 overall in Ohio. These rankings are pretty much the same for 247Sports Composite, though he is ranked the No. 10 overall there.

His rapid rise in the rankings made waves and has certainly gotten fans talking.

"He plays weak," claimed one commenter.

"Atta boy yak he put in that grind to get where he is now, time to double it brotha. Lock tf I," another commenter said.

"He will get drafted very high. His work ethic is off the charts, I’ve seen it firsthand past 3 years training him," commented another person.

While there were a few people who criticized him, a lot more were actually praising the new five-star in Anthony Thompson.

"Somebody need to work on his form," said another commenter.

"I see bagley I see John Henson I see wiseman all in one," noted another commenter.

"He has a smooth pace. Plays at his own speed." complimented another commenter.

Fans comment on Anthony Thompson being ranked a five-star by 247Sports (Source: Instagram/ ballislife)

Despite being previously unranked, Thompson already has offers from some of the biggest Division I schools from all over the country. On the list are Ohio State, Michigan, Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan State, and more. He has even visited some of them already, such as Michigan.

ESPN and On3 rate Anthony Thompson as a four-star

While 247Sports previously saw Thompson as unrated, two of the other big ranking websites have already given him a ranking, though they see him as a four-star prospect.

On3 ranks him as the No. 15 overall and the No. 6 small forward, as well as the No. 1 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, and this was even before 247Sports updated its own rankings. Meanwhile, ESPN lists him higher at the No. 11 overall and the No. 3 in his region. The website also has him as the No. 2 in Ohio.