Ohio State Guard Bruce Thornton joins basketball royalty with this recent stretch of basketball.
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton has been playing some of the best basketball in the entire country down the home stretch of this college basketball season.
The Buckeyes are fighting hard to get a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but continue to find themselves on the outside looking in. Thornton isn't at fault.
In Sunday's 66-60 loss to the Michigan State Spartans, Thornton stood out amongst everyone else on the floor. He finished the game with a 32-point night on an efficient 12-22 shooting. He struggled from three, but he made up for it by getting to the free-throw line and getting to the bucket.
Not only is he scoring the basketball, but he isn't turning it over from the point guard position.
His game on Sunday catapulted him into a category that used to just be the one and only Steph Curry.
Thornton joined Curry as the only two players in college basketball history to have 25-plus points and two or fewer turnovers in three straight games. Curry did it in 2008 during Davidson's tournament run, while Thornton has done it over the most important stretch of Ohio State's season.
It's a far stretch to suggest that Thornton is on the Steph arc, but it isn't a far stretch to acknowledge just how good Thornton is playing, but it likely will not be enough.
Ohio State currently sits at an above-average 17-10 record with still some "Work to Do" to get into the tournament.
The unfortunate part is that their schedule stiffens up to finish the season. They had a good chance to stack two huge wins back-to-back against Michigan State, but they just didn't have enough.
Now, they go to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes before welcoming Purdue to Columbus on Sunday. They then finish up with games against Penn State and Indiana as their final two.
They currently don't have any Quad 1 wins on their resume, so they definitely need one of the Iowa or Purdue games, but likely both of them to sneak into the Tournament.
To get those wins, Bruce Thornton will have to continue to be special for Ohio State. It is a lot of pressure, but he is going to have to continue playing at this pace, where he is scoring at will and playing efficiently.
It's a tall task, but if anyone can get it done, it is Thornton. He needs to if Ohio State's sesaon wants to continue.