With freshman Thornton directing the offense, Buckeyes finding form
LAHAINA, HAWAII — First came bruising San Diego State, a veteran, physical team with a defense to match. Then came Cincinnati and its full-court pressure featuring two fifth-year guards with Big Ten experience. Finally, it was Texas Tech and its high-intensity half-court trapping defense that had forced all five of its prior opponents into double-digit turnovers.
In three games in three days at the Maui Invitational, the Ohio State offense faced a barrage of challenges. And if the Buckeyes learned one thing on this trip, it’s that the future of the point guard position appears to be in good hands. With freshman Bruce Thornton controlling the offense, using his size and strength to frustrate opposing guards and showcasing a developing scoring game, Ohio State ran with the Aztecs, blew out the Bearcats and held off every challenge from the Red Raiders to return home with two wins and a fifthplace finish.
Six games in, a player athletic director Gene Smith told The Dispatch prior to a Nov. 16 game against Eastern Illinois will become a fan favorite for his style of play is starting to find his footing and assert himself on the court.
“One thing they told me is just to always be ready,” Thornton told The Dispatch after the Texas Tech game. “I’m going to have my ups and downs throughout my freshman year and I expect that. I definitely surprised myself, especially because the three games I played back home wasn’t my best.”
Thornton arrived in Maui averaging 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 38.5% (5 for 13) from the floor and 28.6% (2 for 7) from 3-point range. More importantly for a point guard, he had nine turnovers against low-major teams ranked 300th or worse nationally according to Kenpom. com. The trip to Maui, with a field featuring five teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25 poll and Ohio State receiving votes, was a significant step up in competition for the Buckeyes.
Although they lost to No. 17 San Diego State, Thornton scored a career-high 13 points and had three assists with one turnover. The next day, it was 17 points with no assists or turnovers as 23 of Ohio State’s 30 field goals were unassisted. Finally, with Justice Sueing pouring in a career-high 33 points against Texas Tech, Thornton hit three 3-pointers and added four assists with two turnovers while playing all but 1:28 of the game.
His island totals: 13.0 points per game on 13 for 23 (56.5%) shooting with seven assists and three turnovers.
“I don’t know if I knew necessarily what to expect or what it would look like for him in a tournament of this caliber, so I didn’t want to put too many expectations on him but he’s critical for our team because he’s a two-way player,” coach Chris Holtmann said. “We can put him on another opposing team’s good offensive guard and not be concerned is he gonna be tough enough to handle that? That’s critical for us.”
His 6-2, 215-pound frame certainly helps, but Thornton credited his work with strength and conditioning coach Quadrian Banks as well as his daily practice battles with fifth-year guard/ forward Isaac Likekele. His only break against Texas Tech came from 10:50-9:22 of the first half. Thornton remained on the court for the remainder of the game when he checked back in, helping Ohio State keep Texas Tech at arm’s length.
Before heading to the beach after that game on the final day of the trip, Thornton said he had to make a pit stop.
“I’m tired right now,” he said. “I ain’t gonna lie. I had to sit in my room and relax just for a minute.”
Thornton enjoyed a notable shooting uptick in Maui, equaling his 3-point season total in the first game alone and making at least two in all three games while going 7 for 12 (58.3%) from deep. Before and after practice, the freshman said he’s been putting in extra effort with associate head coach Jake Diebler to work on his follow-through. Likekele said he’s been encouraging the freshman to play more “freewheeling” and that he wasn’t surprised to see him show out in Maui.
“It’s what he’s been doing since he got here in the summer,” Likekele said of Thornton’s Maui production. “He plays ahead of his time. Right now, he’s real hot. It’s really not something you see a lot (from a freshman), honestly. It’s just a testament to what kind of person he is.”
As Thornton said, there will be lows. They come for all freshmen, especially those tasked with the kinds of things the Buckeyes are asking Thornton to provide from the point guard position.
But there are reasons why Ohio State prioritized Thornton’s recruitment in the 2022 class. Three games in Maui provided some insight into why the Buckeyes so valued the Alpharetta (Georgia) Milton product.
“I’m proud of his growth,” Holtmann said. “He’s been a tremendously consistent worker and I think that’s allowed him to have success. He’s physically ready to play, and he’s mentally ready to play at this level, and there’s a difference. He’s both.”