Buckeyes' Bruce Thornton Given Massive Opportunity to Take Next Step in Career

Bruce Thornton is being given a chance to show what he's got.

On Friday, May 1, it was announced that the former Ohio State guard had earned an invitation to attend the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. Looking to make the jump from the college game to the professional side of basketball, Thornton now has a big opportunity to impress the scouts and front office members of the league.

He just completed his fourth campaign of college ball in Columbus, capping off an exciting career as the program's all-time leading scorer. He averaged a solid 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game, all while helping defensively with 1.1 steals a night.

On the shooting end, he was incredibly consistent, knocking down 48.6% of his shots from the field and 38.1% of his looks from beyond the arc.

The invite to the combine gives Thornton a larger platform to display his skill set on, especially considering that during his time with Ohio State, the program was never able to garner much national attention due to a lack of overall team success on the hardwood.

The Captain, Bruce Thornton, had been invited to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. pic.twitter.com/tYUzvkGb0a
— The Ohio State Hoops Insider (@OSUHoopsInsider) May 1, 2026

According to countless different outlets, including ESPN's draft prospect list, Thornton is projected to be a second-round selection. He is listed as a 48th-52nd-ranked prospect coming out of college.

That type of ranking seems low, but given how his dominance on the court never really reflected in wins, teams at the highest level of the game are going to be cautious about investing many resources into an unknown. His best shot at getting picked up is to show just how much of a dynamic player he is, providing teams with offense, defense, playmaking and hustle.

In his senior season of ball, knowing this would be one of his last opportunities to make his case for NBA front offices, Thornton took a step forward in every level of his game.

He recorded career-highs in points, rebounds and field goal percentage, all while averaging an eye-popping 36.5 minutes a night. That high-level endurance is something NBA teams will be looking for as well.

This year's combine will take place in just a couple of days, running from May 10 through 17 in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis. In total, 73 players were invited, with Thornton being the only Buckeye.

Due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, he is required to attend and participate in the combine.

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