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WSU Men's Basketball

Klay Thompson jersey retirement at Washington State to coincide with Jan. 18 game versus Oregon State

Washington State's Klay Thompson, right, drives the ball against Stanford's Dwight Powell during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, in Stanford, Calif. (Ben Margot / AP)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584
Washington State's Klay Thompson, right, drives the ball against Stanford's Dwight Powell during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, in Stanford, Calif. (Ben Margot / AP)

Months ago, Washington State announced Klay Thompson would be the second player in program history to have his jersey retired by the school.

Now, there’s a date set for when the Cougars will immortalize one of the best players to wear WSU’s crimson and gray.

On Monday, WSU announced Thompson will return to the Palouse on Jan. 18 to see his jersey go into the rafters at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars host Oregon State that day at 1 p.m.

The Golden State Warriors shooting guard, now a three-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, will join former WSU big man Steve Puidokas as the only other basketball player in school history to have his number retired. The Cougars have retired the numbers of just four other former athletes: Puidokas, John Olerud (baseball), Mel Hein (football) and Jack Thompson (football).

“The Palouse, it’s like my home,” Thompson told WSU athletic director Pat Chun in a video posted to the school’s Twitter account Monday. “I grew up there in Pullman, Eastern Washington. My first visit, it was like a barren place. I was like, ‘What am I going to do out here?’ But that community and that city grew on me so much.”

In his three seasons at WSU (2009-11), Thompson scored 1,756 points – the third-most in program history – and made 242 3-pointers, second only to Davonte Lacy, who played one more season than Thompson did.

“The people and just the support I got in my three years there. To this day, the support I get and the amount of Cougs I see everywhere is incredible,” Thompson said. “If it wasn’t for Washington State, I would not have the success I would’ve had to this day. I’m just so grateful for my time there, I made lifelong friends and I was so lucky to be able to make an impression on the community and that’s why I can’t wait to go back.”