Marist to play Rider following Thompson's jersey retirement

Although one Thompson has graduated, another is sure to give Marist problems on Sunday in Lawrenceville, N.J.
Prior to Marist's 3 p.m. tilt with MAAC rival Rider, the Broncs will retire Jason Thompson's jersey before a packed house. The Sacramento Kings drafted Jason Thompson in the lottery in last year's NBA draft. His selection marked the second straight year that a MAAC player was selected in the draft. Marist's Jared Jordan heard his name called in the second round the prior year by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round. The ceremony will follow the Marist women's game against Rider. Unfortunately for the Red Foxes, Ryan Thompson still wears the maroon and white. The preseason first-teamer enters the game averaging 17.3 ppg, good for first in the MAAC. Ryan, Jason's younger brother, has been the go-to-guy for the Broncs ever since Jason graduated. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward will pose a stern test for the Marist defense, and Ryan Schneider specifically. Schneider is likely to draw the assignment of guarding Thompson. Both teams leading scorers will square off head-to-head. The Thompson-Schneider match-up looks to be one of the best this season. Both players lead their respective teams in scoring and rebounding and rank first in the MAAC in one of those categories. Schneider leads the conference in rebounding while Thompson leads in scoring. Schneider boasts 15.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg.
For the game, Rider holds the offensive advantage by roughly seven ppg while each team is almost identical defensively. Marist yields 68.3 ppg while Rider allows 68.2. Marist's numbers are somewhat skewed because the team played No. 12 Memphis on the road. Meanwhile, Rider has not played a ranked team this season. Rider enters the game with a 7-5 overall record and a 2-0 conference record. Rider edged Manhattan, 76-73, on Dec. 7 and routed Iona on New Year's Day, 68-54. In addition to Iona, Marist has two common opponents with Rider. Rider also lost to Rutgers and Binghamton, 66-62 and 69-58, respectively. The one thing Marist has to its advantage is that Jason Thompson will not suit up with the home time come 3 p.m. on Sunday.