The Ohio State Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer, Bruce Thornton, has been selected by the Houston Rockets at No. 31 overall in the NBA Draft.
Brooklyn, NY – The Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer has officially been selected into the National Basketball Association by the Houston Rockets. The Rockets had to make a trade with the New York Knicks for the 31st pick to select Thornton. This makes Thornton the first Buckeye drafted into the NBA since 2023, when the Utah Jazz selected Brice Sensabaugh at pick 28.
Thornton will put his name down as one of the greatest to ever put on a Buckeye jersey, and his journey continues as he makes his way out to Houston to more than likely be a pivotal piece off the bench as Rockets guard Fred VanVleet recovers from a second Torn ACL injury that he suffered this past season. Bruce joins former Buckeye Jae’Sean Tate in Houston, and both look to be pivotal pieces off the bench for a Rockets team that needed depth last year at the wing position.
The Rockets select Bruce Thornton with the No. 31 pick.
The Nets worked out Thornton on Thursday, and I’m told they had interest in the Ohio State guard.
Brooklyn opted to take Joshua Jefferson at No. 28 instead. Still have another pick at No. 43.
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) June 25, 2026
The former Buckeye guard had interest across the league. Last Thursday, he reportedly had a workout with the Brooklyn Nets, and there was mutual interest and a real chance he would be taken at pick 28 on Tuesday night, but the Nets front office instead selected Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson.
Bruce Thornton was a special college basketball player. Four-year captain at Ohio State. Only 6-foot but he’s 223 pounds with a 6-foot-5 wingspan. Scores at every level, high IQ playmaker, gritty defender. I love him. A potential major steal for the Houston Rockets.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) June 25, 2026
The NBA scouts have reportedly been very high on Thornton’s character, as he was the first 4-year Buckeye captain in school history. Scouts also thrived on his game on the court, with his ability to use his muscle to create his own shots in the low post. At the NBA Combine, Bruce finished 3rd in three-point percentage, going 17-for-25 in drills behind the arc.
Congratulations to Bruce Thornton and his family as he starts this new journey in the NBA after leaving Ohio State as the all-time scoring leader.
AJ is currently a sophomore at Bowling Green State University. He has been a sports fan and Ohio State fan since he was a kid, and has been covering sports since 2020. AJ runs his own podcast called Just Talkin Sports, where he interviews athletes from all sports. He has over 2,300 plays on Spotify and 300 followers on Instagram. AJ plans to study Sport Management and minor in marketing while also interning for BGSU Athletics Strategic Communications.