Ohio State basketball Bruce Thornton named to player of the year watchlist

Every year the Naismith Trophy is handed out to college basketball’s player of the year, and every preseason 50 players are named as players to watch as they attempt to win the award.

This year, an Ohio State Buckeye finds his name on the list, with guard Bruce Thornton being named as one of the players to watch this season.

This will be Thornton's fourth season with the Buckeyes, with him improving each season. Last year was his best, averaging 17.7 points per game on 50% shooting, including 42% from behind the arc.

Bruce among the best‼️@Bruce2T_ has been named to the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watchlist#GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/QLX2WnVpw4
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 3, 2025

He also added 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals, proving his efficiency in several aspects of the game.

Thornton originally declared for the NBA draft this season, but opted to withdraw his name for one final season with the Buckeyes. Thornton reportedly tested the waters with some NBA teams, but decided one more season of college hoops would up his draft stock even higher. Thornton has been vocal this offseason, expressing his excitment about coming back for another season.

He has already begun racking up some preseason awards, being named to the preseason All-Big Ten team. It’s the second straight year he has received that honor.

Thornton will have plenty of help, and plenty of familiarity, with the Buckeyes this season. They return three of their top four scorers from the previous season, with Thornton being the leader.

His back court running mate John Mobley Jr. will also be returning. He averaged 13 PPG last year and was especially a threat from behind the arc. He hit 77 threes during the past season.

Brandon Royal also returns, averaging 13.7 PPG last season, and being the team’s leading rebounder. He had just under seven boards a game. Several other new bigs will be joining the team this year, including Brandon Noel, Christoph Tilly and Josh Ojianwuna, who is currently dealing with a knee injury.

This should help Thornton out as a passer, an area he will be looking to improve heavily this year. Last year the Buckeyes were one of the worst passing teams in college basketball, ranking 282nd in assist rate last year.

If Thornton continues to develop as a passer, that number should continue to rise, and take some of the pressure off his ability to score.

Ohio State will be looking to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022 this year. With Thornton ready to make a player of the year push, and head coach Jake Diebler adding several pieces through the transfer portal this year, the Buckeyes should be in line to turn the program around.