Darius Thompson formed a favorable opinion of UVa head coach Tony Bennett in the spring of 2013, when Virginia and others were in pursuit of the then Blackman High School (Murfreesboro, TN) senior. That initial connection helped the Hoos reel in the 6’5” combo guard when he decided to transfer from the University of Tennessee this spring, following his freshman season.

“I don’t know what Coach Bennett said, but he caught my son’s attention,” said Lonnie Thompson, Darius’ father and head men’s basketball coach at Cumberland University in Tennessee. “Darius really felt good about Coach Bennett from Day 1. When Darius got off the phone (with Coach Bennett when UVa was pursuing him out of high school), he said he really liked the coach from Virginia. Darius is one of those kids who is hard to read. He doesn’t show emotion, but there was a connection with those two from the beginning.”

Following the 2013/2014 season, in which Tennessee made a run to a Sweet Sixteen, Cuonzo Martin left Knoxville for the head coaching position at California-Berkeley. On May 5, Thompson was granted a release from Tennessee to explore transfer possibilities. At the time he left open the possibility of returning to Tennessee, which hired Donnie Tyndall as head coach.

Thompson took an official visit to Purdue before heading to UVa for a visit on May 19 and 20.

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