One of the few bright spots on the Ohio State Men's basketball team over the past few seasons has announced he will be returning for one more run with the Buckeyes. Do-it-all point guard Bruce Thornton will be back in Columbus for his final year of eligibility.
Thornton has been a leader for Ohio State on and off the floor since he arrived on campus in 2022. Named third-team All-Big Ten as a sophomore, Thornton would do himself one better his junior year with a second-team All-Conference selection. He led the team the past season in scoring at nearly 18 points per game and assists with close to five per contest. He led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio and was in the Top 10 nationally. Thornton also topped the 1,000-point mark earlier in the year and now stands at No. 21 on the all-time scoring list in Buckeye basketball history. He should easily move into the Top 10 with another season under his belt. He is No. 10 all-time in program history with 408 assists.
Thornton has been a starter for the Buckeyes since day one and is a three-time captain. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll become the first four-time captain ever at Ohio State. He's pretty special, to say the least.
🌰@TheFoundation1_pic.twitter.com/mgyUjLM3lF
— Bruce Thornton (@Bruce2T_) April 2, 2024
Head coach Jake Diebler has to be ecstatic to be getting his veteran point guard back for one more run. It gives the Buckeyes the experience they need along with Devin Royal and freshman John Mobley Jr. Diebler will need to add some pieces after losing several players to the transfer portal if OSU wants to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for a fourth year in a row. Having Thornton back makes that path much more attainable.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State point guard Bruce Thornton announces decision for next year
