Thornton cemented his name in Buckeye history in March, breaking the school’s all-time scoring record that stood for nearly 40 years.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Thornton cemented his name in Buckeye history in March, breaking the school’s all-time scoring record that stood for nearly 40 years, which was previously held by Dennis Hopson with 2,096 points. Thornton finished his Ohio State career with 2,164 points.
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The 2025-26 season was statistically Thornton’s best year, averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game. This season was also the only time Thornton made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State fell to TCU in the first round.
Thornton arrived to Ohio State in 2022 and quickly became the team’s primary playmaker and leader. He came to Ohio State as a four-star recruit in a top-10 signing class for former coach Chris Holtmann in 2022.
He has spent his entire collegiate career playing for the Buckeyes, leading the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons.
Thornton was the first player in program history to serve as a four-time captain.
During his collegiate career, Thornton earned multiple honors, including All-Big Ten Second Team in 2025 and 2026, NABC All-District in 2025 and 2026 and Honorable Mention AP All-American in 2026.