Bruce Thornton previews his future at Ohio State with continued success

Ohio State freshman guard Bruce Thornton has a bright future in Columbus, and that was evident Saturday against Illinois. Thornton finished with a team-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting as the Buckeyes snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 72-60 victory.

Thornton appeared in front of media after the impressive performance, and was asked about what the future holds for him with his recent string of play. Instead of talking about himself, however, Thornton heaped praise on his teammates for helping him grow in his first collegiate season.

“My teammates in the locker room, they really believe in me that I can make some shots and be a great captain even as a freshman,” he said. “To this day, I’m still learning. But it’s all to me teammates and coaches for putting their trust in me. I’m very thankful and very blessed because they don’t have to do that to a freshman, but they do. I wouldn’t rather have no better teammates than them.”

A four-star recruit and the No. 9 point guard in the 2022 class according to On3 Consensus, Thornton appears to have turned a corner in February. He averaged 11.2 points across nine games during the month, slightly above his season average of 9.6. On a Feb. 5 game against rival Michigan, the freshman notched a season-high 22 points.

There hasn’t been much to cheer for this season, as the Buckeyes (12-17, 4-14 Big Ten) are headed toward their first losing record since 2003-04. However, the recent rise of Bruce Thornton has given Ohio State fans a reason to feel optimistic about their future.

Thornton is one of four top 100 freshmen the Buckeyes brought in for 2022-23, along with Brice Sensabaugh, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Felix Okpara. Sensabaugh leads Ohio State with 16.5 points per game and could potentially leave to join the NBA. But even if he doesn’t return, Thornton, Gayle and Okpara provide a foundation that should give hope the Buckeyes will be back before long.

For now, Thornton will hope to continue his impressive streak of play over the final two games of the season. That begins with a matchup against No. 21 Maryland at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.