"With the players, I've always felt like every time I go down there, I'm one of them," he said.

Thompson obviously goes way back with Purdue's coaches, but also its players; he's visited scores of times the past few years, whether it be for games with his family or separate unofficial visits on football weekends or otherwise.

"Coach (Matt) Painter and his staff emphasized how much they wanted me, and I felt like, 'Why not commit if that's the place where you want to be?'

"I just felt like it was the best decision to commit now," Thompson said Sunday afternoon. "I've always wanted to play in the Big Ten. That's what I dreamed about as a kid.

Prior to his early commitment to Purdue, Thompson landed offers from Butler and several others, and fielded continuing interest from Xavier, Tennessee, SMU, Iowa and others, though Purdue's scholarship offer likely deterred other programs in some way, given his connections to the school.

"Coach Painter told me he loves how I'm a point guard who can push the ball up the floor and make plays for either myself or teammates," Thompson said. "They really like how I can score and shoot the basketball and use my overall quickness. They feel like I can be a good lead guard who can push the tempo and be a good leader and run the show."

The 5-foot-11/6-footish guard has averaged better than 25 points per game this season for Zionsville — up from around 18 as a sophomore — with an extensive track record of putting up robust scoring numbers in summer ball, including a 40-plus-point game in July at the highly competitive Peach Jam's younger-team division.

Scoring is part of Thompson's perceived value.

While he's a very different player — and a very different body type — than his older brother, Purdue has seen much of the same intangible value in this Thompson as it did the last.

And Isaiah Thompson couldn't possibly walk in the door at Purdue knowing any more about what to expect. He's in some way been part of the program for years already.

"I feel like that could be an advantage, to a degree," he said. "I'll come in there knowing what Coach Painter wants, that he likes guys who play hard, defend and just be good teammates. When I get there, I know I'm definitely going to play hard and compete for my spot and defend."