Ohio State's Bruce Thornton Earns High Praise From Michigan State coach Tom Izzo

Ohio State senior point guard Bruce Thornton and his Buckeye teammates lost to Michigan State Sunday (66-60) but by the time the clock hit :00 Thornton had already won over Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.

Thornton, who scored 32 points in the loss and moved into second place on OSU’s all-time scoring list, is in his fourth season with the Buckeyes. He’s stuck around the program despite the Buckeyes’ lack of recent success (they haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2022). That’s especially notable considering Thornton likely would’ve been a second-round NBA draft pick last summer and certainly could have transferred to another school with a higher team ceiling at any point over the last three seasons.

Instead, Thornton’s stuck around Columbus, established himself as one of the best players in the nation and etched his name into the Ohio State record books. That’s something that’s not lost on Izzo.

“I talked to (Bruce) Thornton before the game,” Izzo said following the Spartans win, per Jim Comparoni of On3. “I told him it’s been an honor and a privilege to coach against him for four years. I said you stayed put. You didn’t run and leave like everybody does nowadays. You’ve been an incredible player. You’ve been an incredible person.”

Bruce Thornton is averaging 20.4 points per game

Thornton’s an outlier in more ways than one. In today’s era of non-stop player movement throughout college athletics, he stayed put. His smallish stature (6-foot-2) is also a rarity for almost anyone near the top of a Big Ten school’s all-time scoring list. Despite lacking typical size for an NBA point guard, Thornton's scoring efficiency, experience and loyalty should ensure he finds a longtime home in the league.

In the unlikely event he needs a reference, Tom Izzo would seemingly oblige.

“I’m a big fan, and I told (Thornton) even more after the (Spartans’ win on Sunday),” Izzo added. “We couldn’t guard him with a fish net.”

Chatting with Izzo prior to the game may have inspired Thornton. He played the full 40 minutes, led the Buckeyes in scoring and did not turn the ball over. Thornton did so while essentially being OSU’s first, second and third option — both John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal missed Sunday’s game. Mobley Jr. and Royal rank second on Ohio State in scoring this season behind Bruce Almighty.

Having already impressed Izzo, Thornton’s next audition, along with his Ohio State teammates, will be for the NCAA Tournament committee when they meet next month to determine whether the Buckeyes (17-10) will go dancing in March.