Five-Star In-State Basketball Recruit to visit Ohio State this Weekend

It’ll be a big Saturday for the Ohio State football team, of course, beginning their national title defense when they welcome in No. 1 Texas to Ohio Stadium in a rematch of their meeting in the Cotton Bowl last season. However, it’ll also be an important Saturday for the Ohio State basketball team as well.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Five-Star small forward Anthony Thompson will visit Ohio State this weekend for his second official visit in his recruitment. This visit is notable as Thompson is an Ohio-native and is the No. 1 player in the state. 

The lengthy 6-foot-8 wing is extremely skilled offensively with the ability to operate in a variety of ways. He has a smooth left-handed jumper that is lethal and is great on spot-ups or pick-and-pop situations. Thompson also runs out of the post, and while he’s a strong scorer in that area, his high basketball IQ and good vision have him always looking for cutters.

Last month, Thompson listed his top seven schools, which included the Buckeyes. His list also included Michigan, Purdue, and Indiana from the Big Ten, and Kentucky, Texas, and UNC.

According to Rivals, Thompson is the No. 6 overall recruit in the class of 2026 and the No. 2 small forward, which adds to why he’s being heavily sought after by other top programs in the Big Ten and Blue Bloods of College Basketball. The competition to land the five-star Ohio-native will be fierce, but Jake Diebler getting Thompson on campus early in his official visit process is a great start, especially this weekend with what is expected to be an unbelievable scene in the Shoe and around campus for the highly anticipated football game.

It's vital for Jake Diebler to keep the top in-state talent in the state of Ohio. Buckeye fans going to the game Saturday or plan to be on campus, if you see Thompson around with Jake Diebler, make sure you show him so love to help Diebler keep the in-state talent at home!