SF Anthony Thompson (Official Thread)

[calibuck]

Selfishly, really hope he plays well, but not so well that he's a one-and-done in Buckeyeland.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Today’s question: Which Ohio State freshman, in any sport, has the highest ceiling?​

Brett’s answer: Anthony Thompson​

Right now the Ohio State men’s basketball program needs some juice. It has been a while since the Buckeyes have had a highly touted recruit out of high school commit to the school. The last big-time recruit Ohio State was able to bring in was D’Angelo Russell, who put up big numbers and went on to be selected second in the NBA Draft after a year in Columbus.

There are plenty of expectations for Anthony Thompson heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season. Thompson is the highest-rated Ohio State recruit since Jared Sullinger in 2010, and is the highest-rated Big Ten signee in the class of 2026. In high school, Thompson was a five-star recruit, a McDonald’s All-American, was the top-ranked recruit in the state of Ohio, and ranked in the top-10 in the country.

At 6-foot-9 with a wingspan that spans at least 7-foot-4, Thompson has the size and length to be disruptive wherever he is on the court. Despite head coach Jake Diebler saying Thompson is going to need some time to adjust to college basketball, it’s likely Thompson will only be at Ohio State for one season since he is already projected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Unlike sports like college football, where it’s hard for a single player to truly take over a game since there are so many other players on the field he has to be in sync with, the same can’t be said about college basketball. Just look at a little more than 20 years ago when freshman Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a national championship. Just a few years later, Greg Oden had the Buckeyes in that national title game before losing to Florida.
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[ScriptOhio]

This week’s question: Which players had the most noteworthy performances for Ohio State in Puerto Rico?​

Connor: Anthony Thompson​

Based on Adam Jardy’s reporting from San Juan and some of the clips Ohio State tweeted out this week, Anthony Thompson completely balled out in the Buckeyes’ two games.

Acknowledging that it was against inferior competition, Thompson looked like the type of player that could elevate Ohio State from a middle of the Big Ten type of team to a legitimate Big Ten contender.

In two games, Thompson averaged 13.5 points on 61% shooting overall and was 4-for-10 from three-point range. He also grabbed 13 rebounds in the two games combined, and had two steals in Ohio State’s second win of the week.

Thompson only drew one foul in Puerto Rico and was 1-for-2 at the free throw line, which means Thompson probably wasn’t getting to the basket a ton and instead was relying on his jumper. That worked well against lower level competition, but when the season actually starts, he will need to be able to use his 6-foot-9, 215-pound frame to draw fouls and wear down defenses.

Jardy reported that, after watching these two games, Thompson will need to “continue to develop from a physical standpoint.”

I think it’s super encouraging that Thompson was so efficient playing against grown men and (reportedly) did not look sped up at all playing with college teammates against professional players. More than any other player, I think Thompson’s performance this season could completely change the trajectory of Ohio State’s season.

If he is an All-Big Ten type of player, this will be Jake Diebler’s best Ohio State team by far.