By Michael Letendre  

BRISTOL – When the Bristol Central boys basketball team lost its starting core off its 2021-22 CIAC Division II state championship roster, the program needed several younger players to step up to help lead the squad this season.  

And sophomore Carmelo Thompson has been very helpful in that department.  

The first-year starter has given the Rams a little pep offensively as Thompson averages just under 10.0 points-per-game. 

Thompson is second on the team in points (128) and free throws made (19). 

He had a 17-point performance earlier in the campaign and continues to improve by the game.  

Thompson helps take some of the pressure of Central big man Jayeson VanBeveren (13.4 ppg) and Mikey McMahon (7.0 ppg) in head coach Tim Barrette’s offensive schemes.  

“He’s got great offensive game,” said Barrette of Thompson. “We just have to find some consistency. His effort was fantastic tonight [against East Catholic]. I thought he played very hard. We just have to find consistency in practice.”  

“He could be a really, really good player in this program.”  

Against East Catholic, Thompson did well around the hoop – cashing in on a third period three-pointer – as the sophomore did his best to keep his team in the mix.  

He ended up hitting a team-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds, including several offensively, to get Central additional attempts at the rim.  

Thompson may not be a polished shooter but when he’s streaking towards the rim, he has the ability to finish with authority.  

He can bank a shot off the glass for two, grabs his share or rebounds in the paint, and can hit a three every once in a while.  

Thompson is a developing playmaker and isn’t afraid to bring the ball into the paint, making the defense commit.  

He has a deliberate style and will force the defense to react which helps open things up when Central goes to its high-low offensive attack.  

One of the things to remember about Thompson is that he’s still just a sophomore and is adjusting to the varsity game on the fly.  

Barrette knows there’s another level Thompson can reach once he gets a little polish on his game.  

If he can start hitting his long-range shots with any kind of consistency, Thompson’s game has unlimited potential.  

But for now, the shooter has given Central another weapon opponents cannot ignore, and he’ll continue to work to improve on his game as the season moves along.  

“He’s only a sophomore so I give him a breather,” said Barrette. “He just turned 16. You saw flashes tonight of what he can do. You’ve seen him throughout the year [and] we just have to find some consistency with him.”  

“The effort is good in games but to be a good player, we have to find the same effort at practice.”