“With the 31st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets select Bruce Thornton, a guard from The Ohio State University.”
Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer and the only four-time captain in program history, Thornton heard his name called on Wednesday night during the second round of the draft, and will now have to work to earn a spot on the Rockets roster in the fall. Thornton is the first Ohio State men’s basketball player drafted since Brice Sensabaugh — who was in Thornton’s recruiting class — went 28th overall to the Utah Jazz in 2023.
Thornton was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree while at Ohio State, was one of just two Big Ten players ever to finish their career with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists, and finished second all-time in program history in starts (136). He only missed one game in his college career — a game against Nebraska his sophomore season — due to a migraine that hit him shortly before game time.
Thornton averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game last season, shooting a hyper efficient 55.4% overall, 40% from three-point range, and 82.9% from the free throw line.
At 6-feet tall and 223 pounds, Thornton is stockier and shorter than a prototypical NBA point guard, but the ability to shoot the ball is transferrable anywhere, and Thornton proved in his college career that he can make any shot on the floor. According to Jam Hines of No Ceilings NBA, Thornton’s size and his age (22) were always going to count against him in this draft, but, “Because of what be does shooting the ball, he’s going to be a good fit anywhere.”
While talking to Land-Grant Holy Land on May 21 on the Bucketheads Podcast, Hines specifically pointed out Houston as a potential landing spot for Thornton, saying, “I think the Rockets would make a lot of sense, too. You have the defensive infrastructure there for the most part with (Amen) Thompson (being) there, a good defender. Tari Eason, Steven Adams too when he comes back. And we kind of saw what happened with them just running out of guards last year.”
As the first pick of the second round, Thornton will have a real shot at making Houston’s opening night roster. If not, Thornton will likely bounce between the Rockets and their G-League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, based in Edinburg, Texas. Last year’s 31st overall pick, Rasheer Fleming, was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. He appeared in 31 games for the Suns this past season, averaging 12.2 minutes per game. After the draft, he signed a 4-year, $8.7-million dollar contract. Look for Thornton to agree to something similar.
Congratulations to Bruce, we look forward to watching your sensational career continue at the highest level!
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