Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes expecting Bruce Thornton back in lineup soon

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Buckeyes expecting Bruce Thornton back in lineup soon

Star sophomore point guard Bruce Thornton had started the first 63 games of his Ohio State career. The only Buckeyes player with a longer streak of that kind was Michael Redd, who got the nod for all 96 games of his three-year college career from 1998-2000.

Thornton’s run of consecutive starts came to an end Thursday night against Nebraska.

“Bruce started getting some symptoms of a migraine this afternoon,” interim head coach Jake Diebler explained postgame. “He and our medical team did absolutely everything they could. He wanted to be out there, obviously. But it just wasn’t in his best interest at that point in time to do it.”

He added: “We’re expecting things to recover soon.”

Thornton was listed as “questionable” on the official Big Ten availability report. But, with less than a half hour to go before tip, he was nowhere to be seen in pregame warmups at the Schottenstein Center.

He wasn’t on the bench for 78-69 Ohio State win, either. Diebler was asked postgame if Thornton was able to watch the game elsewhere with his migraine.

“When I talked to him after the game, I didn’t ask him,” Diebler said. “I just told him, my preference would be to have him out there anytime I get to coach. And he smiled.”

Thornton leads the Buckeyes with 16.2 points per game this season, tied for the ninth-highest scoring average in the Big Ten. He’s also fifth nationally with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.66:1.

His absence marked the second game in a row Ohio State has played without one of its top-two scorers. The Buckeyes were missing Jamison Battle last weekend at Michigan State.

Both times, Diebler’s squad pulled out a win.

“The message has been simple, and it’s been the same the last two games,” Diebler said. “When you’re a man down, we have to find a way to be a little little bit tougher and a little more together.”

Although Thornton was out, Battle returned to the fold and did so with emotion and aggression, scoring a season-high 32 points against Nebraska, fueling Ohio State’s third win in its last four games.

Another injury note: Roddy Gayle Jr. hopped to the locker room after going down with an ankle injury late in the second half. He tweaked it after making a layup that put the Buckeyes up six with 2:29 left. Gayle returned to the game before the final horn and said afterward that he’s fine.

“I’ve rolled my ankle so many times,” Gayle said jokingly. “It heals pretty quick.”

RELATED

• Again down a man, Buckeyes answer the bell versus Nebraska

Josh Proctor finally at NFL Combine after long, winding Buckeyes journey

Josh Proctor needed all six years of his eligibility to finally reach the NFL Combine, but the wait has paid dividends for the talented safety, who has grown physically and mentally during his time with the Buckeyes.

After a severe leg injury in 2021 and a public benching in 2022, Proctor put it all together in 2023. He started 11 games and helped swing a couple of them, like when he got the ball rolling with a pick-six versus Maryland in Week 6 or when he set the stage for a Jordan Hancock pick-six at Rutgers in Week 10.

“My whole thought process coming out of high school was three and done,” Proctor said Thursday. “That’s everybody’s plan coming out of high school. But you never know what’s going to happen, and you never know what you’re going to take away from this.”

For the full story, go here.

Holbrook: Xavier Johnson wrongfully snubbed from NFL Combine invite list

Ohio State Swiss Army knife Xavier Johnson did a little bit of everything the last two seasons. He scored critical touchdowns against Notre Dame and Georgia in 2022, in addition to recovering a pair of blocked punts and making his usual special teams impact.

Johnson continued his role as kick returner this past season and served as the Buckeyes’ WR4 for much of the year, even starting in place of Emeka Egbuka when the star slot wideout was out with an ankle injury midseason.

Johnson didn’t have the same highlight-reel year in 2023 that he did in 2022, except he once again proved to be a viable option in the receiving and running game, as well as the team’s flag bearer on special teams. It’s that phase of the game that earned him offensive snaps and helped him go from preferred walk-on to a scholarship player who this past season was voted captain.

Johnson, though, wasn’t one of the eight Ohio State players invited to this year’s NFL Combine. Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook wrote about why Johnson should have been part of that group in Indianapolis this week.

Check it out here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 183 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 274 days

Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.