Saint Martin’s guard Tyke Thompson turns pro with Vitoria in Portugal

The Saint Martin’s University Official Athletics website confirmed on Friday (Sept. 7) that their standout guard Tyke Thompson has inked a professional contract overseas, suiting up for Vitoria SC in Portugal’s Liga Betclic.  

Thompson has been a crucial piece of the Saints roster since joining in 2019. After redshirting his freshman year, the six-foot-eight guard became a core asset of the team. He averaged 10.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game in his four playing seasons with the Saints and surpassed 1,000 points in all competitions for the red and white. 

Hailing from Salem, OR, Thompson’s individual accolades include achieving back-to-back Second Team All-GNAC honors in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, and an honorable mention in the 2021-22 season. He was also a part of two regular-season championship teams and a trip to the NCAA D-II Men's Basketball Tournament. 

Reflecting on his collegiate career in Lacey as he begins his pro career in Portugal, Thompson expressed gratitude to his coaches and teammates who supported his aspirations. 

"Signing this contract & playing professionally has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. Basketball has been a huge part of my life, and I am thankful to call it a job. My last five years at Saint Martin's is a huge reason this was all possible. My coaches and teammates believed in me and pushed me every day to be the best.” 

Saints men’s basketball head coach Aaron Landon has also expressed immense pride in his former player, especially on his significant contributions to the SMU basketball program.  

"We are so excited for Tyke to have this opportunity. He has a championship legacy and will go down as one of the greatest winners in school history.” 

Vitoria SC’s basketball department, although relatively new – as it was founded in 2004 – has been a mainstay in the first tier of Portuguese basketball ever since attaining promotion in 2008. They have won the Portuguese Basketball Cup twice in their short history. 

Thompson will join Kyle Greeley as one of the Saints’ veteran players from last season who have turned pro. In July the Saints floor general Greeley signed a pro contract with Cultural y Deportivo Leonesa in the Segunda FEB, the third tier of the Spanish basketball league system.