T.J. battles younger brother

When GW sophomore point guard T.J. Thompson stepped onto the court in Friday’s win over Mt. St. Mary’s, one of his opponents looked strikingly familiar. That’s because Thompson’s brother, Landy, is a freshman on the Mountaineers.

“That was the first time we ever played against each other our whole lives, so it was weird but it was also fun,” T.J. Thompson said. “I was a little unfocused because I knew I was playing against my brother, but I just treated it like another game.”

T.J. is coming off a solid rookie season that earned him a spot on the Atlantic 10 All Rookie Team, while the rookie Landy has been just as impressive in his first few games. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard currently leads Mt. St. Mary’s in scoring with 17 points per game.

T.J. got the better of his younger brother this time, scoring eight points with a career-high 11 assists compared to Landy’s six points and two assists.

“I could’ve hit a few more shots, but we won, so that’s the most important part,” T.J. said. “I’m not going to rub it in too much though. The point of playing against him was to have a good time.”

Both Thompson brothers said there was no sibling rivalry between them because they often played together, T.J. at the point guard and Landy at the shooting guard position. Landy agreed the game was more about having fun.

“We were just joking around on the court the whole time,” he said. “It was a good opportunity.”

Forchion comes back early

Friday’s game also marked sophomore Tamal Forchion’s return to the court after being sidelined since Aug. 12 with a broken ankle. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward said doctors initially told him he would likely be out until February, but Forchion saw his first game action in a two-minute stint against Mt. St. Mary’s.

He did not attempt a shot in his first game but played nine minutes in Saturday’s game against Bucknell and scored one point from the foul line. Forchion said he is between 70 and 80 percent healthy and will need time to adjust to being in game situations again.

“It’s like closing your eyes and not seeing the light for a long time and once you open your eyes, it’s kind of blinding,” he said. “But I really can’t get mad about anything because I wasn’t supposed to be back until mid-February. I just have to thank God for that.”

Forchion did not play in Tuesday’s win at Florida International and head coach Karl Hobbs said he plans to work his big man back in gradually.

“I envision him each game getting more and more minutes, as he gets healthier and in better condition,” he said. “I like how he’s coming around. Even though he had the injury, he still seemed to have his explosiveness to the basket.”

The coach also said Forchion would have to fight his way back into the starting lineup in light of freshmen Mike Hall’s and Pops Mensah-Bonsu’s impressive play. But Forchion said that does not bother him.

“Right now I just want to get back so I can play,” he said. “I’m proud of the job Pops and Mike Hall have done, and we’re coming out with the W’s, so I can’t complain about much.”

Looking ahead

2002 BB&T Classic
The MCI Center, Washington, D.C.

Saturday
GW vs. No. 2 Texas, 1 p.m.
No. 8 Maryland vs. Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday
Consolation, 1 p.m.
Championship, 3:30 p.m.

Student tickets can be purchased for $10 per day through Ticketmaster. The F Street Sports Bar on the second level of the arena will also have $2 drink specials for students over 21.