It looked to only be a matter of when and not if Ohio State's Bruce Thornton would become the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer. When Ohio State played its second-to-last regular-season game of the 2025-2026 season, legend Bruce Thornton got one step closer to that monumental achievement.
The Buckeyes were on the road in Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State, which is dead last in the Big Ten, was no match for Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 94-62. While this was a rare occasion where Thornton wasn't the leading scorer for the Scarlet and Gray, he still had a good game.
John Mobley Jr. had the red-hot hand in this game. Mobley scored 28 points, shooting 9 of 12 from the field, and 8 of 9 from three-point range. Thornton had 18 points of his own, with 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
This puts him at 2,085 career points, only 11 behind Buckeye legend Dennis Hopson. If Thornton can get 12 points against Indiana this Saturday in his home finale in Columbus, he'll have that record all to himself. Thornton is a throwback, old-school player who has been a true Buckeye his whole career. He had plenty of chances to leave for more stable teams that are more competitive and have a better chance to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament. Bruce Thornton chose to stay at Ohio State.
While the scoring record will likely happen Saturday, Thornton will be more concerned with the win. He's leading the charge and trying to will Ohio State to get to the big dance. It would be the first and last March Madness of his career.
While Operation Get Bruce to March Madness may or may not succeed, Ohio State and Buckeye Nation know they have a special one in #2. All of Ohio will appreciate him one last time on senior day this Saturday, and records and tournaments aside, will be thankful that Bruce Thornton is an Ohio State Buckeye.