Thornton is the top player on the team and the leader of this year’s Buckeye squad.
If you have been locked into college football this fall, here is your friendly reminder that the Ohio State men’s basketball hoops season starts today!
As we wrap up our player preview series this week, here are the final Buckeyes we are examining.
The Bruce Thornton File
Name: Bruce Thornton
Position: Guard
Class: Junior
High School: Milton
Hometown: Fairburn, Ga.
Weight: 215 pounds
Height: 6-foot-2
Breakdown
Thornton has put together an impressive resume in Columbus through his first two seasons.
He was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team in 2024 and the All-Big Ten All-Tournament Team in 2023. Last season as a sophomore, he played in and started 35 games and led the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game, 4.8 assists per game, steals at 1.2 steals per game, and minutes played at 33.6 mpg.
His 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio (168-to-42) was second-best in the country, and he became just the third player in program history with more than 100 assists and fewer than 50 turnovers in a season.
He was named the Emerald Coast Classic Most Valuable Player after averaging 21.0 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, and 2.0 steals per game with a win over Alabama.
Thornton had a great freshman season. He was the only player on the team to play and start all 35 games and averaged 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He was also effective in handling the ball, with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (92-to-46) while playing a team-high 30.5 minutes per game.
In high school, he was named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. Thornton averaged 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists during his senior season, and led Milton to the Class 7A state title as a junior and a final national ranking of No. 7, earning the school’s first trip to the GEICO National Tournament.
Thornton was named first-team All-State for the second consecutive season by the GHSA after averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists per game as a junior. He was the 7A Player of the Year, scored over 1,500 points in his career at Milton, and was a three-time first-team All-State selection.
Expected Role
It is no secret that Thornton is the best player on the Buckeyes’ roster. He is a two-year starter, and the only player left from the coveted 2022 recruiting class.
Thornton has been asked to do a lot in his Buckeye career thus far, starting as a true freshman in his first game and becoming a captain in his freshman season. He has faced some trials and tribulations, but for the most part has been a reliable and solid point guard in his first two seasons.
Now, Thornton has the chance to take that next step. He is joined in the backcourt this season by senior Meechie Johnson, and they make up a duo that could be one of the best in the conference.
Thornton has the potential to be one of the best point guards in the conference and even in the country, but he has to add winning to his resume. He has never made the NCAA Tournament, but now with a new head coach in Jake Diebler and a new coaching staff, Thornton can make his way to the NCAA Tournament and start to solidify his legacy at Ohio State.