Ohio State's Bruce Thornton Selected No. 31 in 2026 NBA Draft

The Houston Rockets have selected Ohio State Buckeyes star guard Bruce Thornton with the 31st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Thornton was a leader and star over his four years with the Buckeyes. He is Ohio State's all-time leading scorer with 2,164 points. Thornton was a team captain all four years with the Buckeyes, which speaks to the program's belief in his leadership.

He progressed throughout his career at Ohio State, averaging 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three.

In his sophomore year, Thornton took a scoring leap, averaging 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep.

He continued to improve his game in his junior year, averaging 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from distance.

Thornton stepped up even more in his senior season, averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting an efficient 55.4 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc.

He showcased his scoring and shooting ability during his time with the Buckeyes while also being a quality defender. Thornton now heads to the Rockets, who are in need of more depth at guard, as their offense stalled in minutes where Kevin Durant was off the floor.

Even with Durant on the floor, Houston often struggled to get organized because they didn't have a true point guard to run the show.

With Fred VanVleet returning from his torn ACL and the selection of Thornton, the Rockets have a promising point guard rotation for the 2026-27 season.

While Thornton didn't end up as a first-round selection, he was the top pick of the second round and is an NBA-ready guard who will contribute for Houston in his rookie campaign.

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