Thompson left NC State after his senior season in 1975 as the school's most decorated player. He won every major national player of the year award in 1975, in addition to being a three-time consensus First-Team All-America honoree, a three-time unanimous First-Team All-ACC honoree, and a three-time ACC Player of the Year winner. In his 86 games, Thompson scored 2,309 points (26.8 ppg); he still holds the Wolfpack records for points scored in a single season (838 in 1974–75) and points scored in a single game (57 in 1974). His #44 jersey remains the only retired jersey in NC State history, though others have been honored.