Bruce Thornton on returning to Ohio State: 'I gotta prove myself'

Following a rocky 2023-24 season, Ohio State Buckeyes point guard Bruce Thornton surprised individuals when he opted to return to the program for one more season instead of declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. Thornton is now the sole remaining individual from the Buckeyes 2022 recruiting class.

During a recent press conference, along with fellow backcourt mate Meechie Johnson Jr., the Ohio State point guard shared his thoughts on being the last member of his class still on the roster and his reason for returning for the 2024-25 campaign.

“It’s crazy because those are the guys that you come in with. We’ve been through the good, the bad, and the ugly,” said Thornton. “But now, —I still keep in contact with those guys. Those guys are gonna be with me forever— being the only one here, I feel like, for myself, I gotta prove myself each and every day. I haven’t gotten to the goal that I wanted to here at Ohio State. That was a big reason why I stayed… I got so much to prove to myself and Buckeye Nation that we are a top program in the country.”

Last season, Thornton was the catalyst for the Ohio State men’s basketball program. He led the team in points (15.7), assists (4.8), and stills (1.2) per contest. He would finish the year shooting 42.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. While his metrics were not jaw-dropping, Thornton could have very well been drafted in the 2024 Draft. Instead, he is taking one more season to hone his craft better and achieve the goals he set out when he first committed to the Buckeyes as a member of the 2022 recruiting class.

Jake Diebler updates Ohio State’s plans for final scholarship

Ohio State men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler’s first official roster in Columbus has really taken shape, and the Buckeyes are merely looking to put the finishing touches on their 2024-25 group at this point in the offseason.

OSU currently has 12 scholarship players on the roster, along with a few walk-ons. Men’s college hoops programs offer up to 13 scholarship spots, so Diebler has another open slot to play with. However, he said recently that Ohio State will stay flexible with that final spot for now.

“I think we’ll be able to speak more specifically on that here in the near future,” Diebler answered when asked by reporters. He then explained that in the modern age of constant player movement, it’s better to be nimble than set in stone with your roster in July.

“You know, right now, it’s fluid, more than it ever has been,” he added. “That’s just the nature of college basketball. And you know, I think, from this standpoint, as we have looked to finalize things, we’ve looked to build around the pieces that we have and complement the guys that we have, because we’re really excited about this group.”