Last season, the Ohio State basketball program had a roller coaster season. After being ranked and looking like one of the best teams in the Big Ten in January, they had a heavy late-season slide that kept them out of the NCAA Tournament entirely for the third straight season.
It was an embarrassing slide after the Ohio State Buckeyes took a big swing in the Transfer Portal. Of the five guys they brought in from the portal, only one of them, Micah Parrish, ended up being any good. All of those guys are gone now, and Jake Diebler is hoping to have a better year.
The one constant for the Buckeyes has been Bruce Thornton. Thornton has been the best player that the Buckeyes have had over the last three years. Last year was his best season yet. Heading into this season, he has been rewarded by the Big Ten by being given a preseason honor.
Ohio State basketball player Bruce Thornton named to All-Big Ten preseason team
Thornton was named as one of the ten representatives on the preseason All-Big Ten Team. The conference doesn't designate between first-team and second-team All-Big Ten for the preseason team; the conference just names ten players. Thornton is one of them.
Heading into this season, Thornton is the best player the Buckeyes have yet again. Heading into his senior season, Thornton is striving to lead the Buckeyes somewhere they haven't been in his career: the NCAA Tournament. That is the biggest hole in his resume.
Last season, Thornton averaged 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He shot just over 50 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The team will once again run through him and the offense that he is able to generate for himself and others.
Ohio State's season starts in just under a month. Before you know it, they will have tipped off.