By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Trey Thompson’s 18th birthday will come on December 3, one day after Iowa opens the Big Ten men’s basketball season at Michigan State, the eighth game overall on the Hawkeyes’ schedule.

Thompson may have logged significant minutes by then.

Instead of playing his senior season at Greenville (Tennessee) High School, Thompson reclassified in the summer to play his first season with the Hawkeyes. And he has a chance to be a part of their rotation.

“It’s different, for sure,” Thompson, a 6-foot-8 forward, said at Iowa’s media day last week. “It’s been an adjustment.”

It’s an adjustment that hasn’t been apparent to his teammates.

“He’s definitely exceeded my expectations,” said junior forward Cam Manyawu.

“The dude can shoot it,” fifth-year guard Bennett Stirtz said. “He’s aggressive. He can play defense. He can do it all. And the more time he gets on the court with all of us and the more film sessions he gets in with the coaching staff, he’ll be special.”

Thompson was ranked as a four-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class by On3 and 247Sports. He was ranked 59th in On3’s list of top prospects, and 91st by 247Sports, pursued by not just the Hawkeyes but by programs like Tennessee, Purdue, and Vanderbilt.

Thompson chose to reclassify over the summer, and after talking with Iowa coach Ben McCollum announced in early July that he was joining the Hawkeyes.

He couldn’t practice with the team in the final month of summer workouts because he still had course work to finish to graduate high school.

“It was rough,” Thompson said. “It was hard. But the guys around me and the coaches helped me get through it.

“I could play pickup (games), and I could lift with the team, but just to watch them practice every day, it got me eager sitting over there. I was shaking my legs like, ‘I want to play.’”

Thompson has impressed his new coach.

“A kid his age should be a senior in high school,” McCollum said. “What’s most impressive is his acclimation to being at a university that’s 30,000-plus students, and how he engages with everybody. He’ll shake anyone’s hands. He’s such a good representative. He’s a kid that can be your leader into the future of University of Iowa men’s basketball.”

Thompson’s teammates have also helped in his adjustment to college life.

“They do a great job of keeping me intact, keeping me where I need to be,” he said.

“He’s 17, he’s a pretty young 17,” Manyawu said. “He got here late, and he hasn’t been with us the whole time. Considering how much he’s picked up and where he’s at right now, he’s definitely ahead of the curve. The more and more he continues to learn, he’s going to be really good.”

“Super young dude,” Stirtz, who is 22, said with a smile. “He brings the young out in us, because I feel like I’m old. I expected a super immature dude, and he’s an immature dude, but he’s 17. He brings a lot of energy out there, and he doesn’t get tired because he’s 17.”

Thompson is listed as weighing 220 pounds, but he knows he’ll have to get stronger in getting ready for Big Ten play.

“In practice, I’m guarding guys like Cam, who’s 260, who’s strong, who can bench (press) 300 pounds,” Thompson said. “It’s tough, but you have to find your way around it and just battle.”

There was no hesitation in the answer when Thompson was asked what it’s like, at his age, to be playing against adults four or five years older.

“It’s exciting,” Thompson said. “I think it’s an opportunity to be better. Some people fear playing against people being older than you, but I love it. I enjoy it. I love competition. If you beat me, I’m gonna find a way to beat you next. So it’s just who I am, the way I’m programmed. And I love it.”