DUBUQUE, Iowa - 2025-26 junior guard Grady Thompson (Princeton, Ill. / Princeton) of the University of Dubuque men's basketball team is set to play for the USA D-3 Basketball Team in Brazil, starting a ten-day trip that will begin on July 7.

Thompson made a massive leap in his sophomore season for the Spartans, nearly doubling his points per game from his freshman season by averaging 14.2 points per game in 2024-25. Thompson also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game and added 30 assists and 22 steals. The junior guard was an American Rivers Conference All-Conference Second Team member and earned academic awards through the conference as well as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. 

Thompson will be playing games in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro throughout the ten-day trip (July 7-16).

Thompson had this to say about his upcoming Brazil experience: "I am super honored and excited to have been chosen for the opportunity to represent my country and the University of Dubuque down in Brazil! I will be competing against international talent and will get to experience a new culture. Opportunities like this don't come around often." 

Not just basketball, Thompson will have a ton of unique experiences to explore the cultural and social aspects within the local communities in those cities. They will also get to visit iconic landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain. 

Thompson is the first University of Dubuque men's basketball student-athlete to play for the USA D-3 Basketball Team since Taylor Blum was on the team in 2010.