Ohio State Signee Bruce Thornton Named Finalist For SI All-American Player Of The Year

The winner will be chosen based on production, consistency, future projection and competition level.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Feb 23, 2022 3:57 PM EST

Ohio State four-star point guard signee Bruce Thornton was named on Wednesday as one of 57 finalists for the SI All-American Player of the Year award, which takes into account production, consistency, future projection and competition level.

The 6-foot-1 and 205-pound Thornton is considered the eighth-best point guard and No. 42 prospect overall in the class of 2022, as he averaged roughly 17.0 points, 8.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game to lead Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton to the state championship as a junior. He committed to the Buckeyes on Thanksgiving Day 2020.

“We are really excited to add Bruce to our program,” head coach Chris Holtmann said when Thornton signed his letter of intent this past November. “During the recruiting process, we had a front row seat to his work ethic and his ability to impact winning at the highest level. Combine that with who he is as a person and the support around him, there is no doubt that he fits perfectly in the Scarlet and Gray.

“Bruce exemplifies the toughness, skill, and leadership combination that we look for in our guards and Buckeye Nation is going to love watching him.”

Other members of Ohio State’s 2022 recruiting class include Utah four-star shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr., Florida four-star small forward Brice Sensabaugh, Missouri four-star center Felix Okpara and Cincinnati three-star shooting guard Bowen Hardman. The group comprised the top-rated haul in the Big Ten and sixth-best class nationally.

As for the SI All-American Player of the Year award, the winner will be announced in April alongside the five players who made the 2022 SI All-American Team.

Notable finalists include Duke five-star center signee Dereck Lively, UCLA five-star combo guard signee Amari Bailey, Arkansas five-star combo guard signee Nick Smith, Kentucky five-star combo guard signee Cason Wallace and Kansas five-star small forward signee M.J. Rice, among others.

"After going through the height of the pandemic last season, players have really been intentional in their approach this season and it’s been impressive to see," SI All-American basketball recruiting director Jason Jordan said. "That certainly hasn’t made our job any easier, but, at the end of the day, these are the 57 players we feel have displayed an elite level of play the most consistently.”

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