Devonta “Bam” Thompson, Bogue Chitto

As you would expect, Bogue Chitto senior guard Devonta “Bam” Thompson is the 2025 Daily Leader All-Area Boys’ Basketball Most Valuable Player. 

It’s the third-straight year for Thompson to claim the prize and it’s no great surprise that he’s bringing home the honor once again.

Earlier this year, Thompson was named the best player in all of MHSAA 2A basketball when the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) tabbed him as 2A Mr. Basketball.

Thompson averaged 19.6 points, 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game for coach Marc Howard and the Bobcats (22-4) in his final season at Bogue Chitto. He is currently still in the process of deciding where he’ll play next year as several schools are interested in signing Thompson. 

Thompson was recognized as Mr. Basketball prior to the 2A championship game at the Mississippi Coliseum. He was also feted at a banquet put on by the MHSAA earlier this month with the other class winners.

Go back a year in time and you’ll see Thompson sitting on one of the benches of the same Coliseum court.

He’s waiting to be announced as a starter in the 2A title game against Ingomar, but he and his teammates are also waiting for the 2024 Mr. Basketball to be recognized first.

Look closely and you’ll see Thompson subtly shaking his head with a look of disappointment on his face as a player from Bay Springs is recognized.

There is no betting market on who’ll be named player of the year for high school sports, but if there were, you would have bet the house on Thompson winning the award this year if you’d seen the look on his face at that moment.

Allow a local sportswriter to drift back to another memory, from a night spent watching Bogue Chitto and Loyd Star play in the Lincoln County Tournament five years ago.

There was a junior high aged kid sitting behind me, who provided a running commentary of the game. Bogue Chitto was hot that night, nailing 3-pointers from all over the court. The young Bobcat behind me was hollering in happiness with each made shot.

He talked fast and critiqued the moves being used by his schoolmates. I’d do this or I’d do that if I was out there, he was telling a group of friends that sat around him. 

His energy was so high, I had to turn around and get a look at this hyper little Cat, wondering if he was really a player or just another kid bragging.

Fast forward a couple years and I am catching my first Bogue Chitto game of the 2022-2023 season after hearing about a young group of players that had the Bobcats playing an exciting brand of basketball for then-second-year head coach Marc Howard.

It didn’t take long to realize that the talkative junior high kid from the bleachers was now the speedy, left-handed point guard making the Bobcats run.

It’s been a fun ride to watch over those next three seasons.

In addition to winning All-Area MVP three times and being named 2A Mr. Basketball, Thompson has left quite the legacy during his time suiting up for the Bobcats.

BC made it to the 2A semifinals, finals, and quarterfinals and finished with a combined record of 71-12 over that time. The rivalry with East Marion. The unbelievable shot he hit against Velma Jackson to force overtime as a sophomore. The back-to-back runs through Region 7-2A undefeated and mostly unchallenged over the last two years.

It’s a heck of a resume for the chatty little eighth grader in the bleachers that became a Bogue Chitto all-time great on the court.