Five-star senior Anthony Thompson has committed to Ohio State, becoming the Buckeyes' highest-ranked men's basketball recruit in more than a decade.
Thompson chose the Buckeyes over Indiana, giving Jake Diebler a massive recruiting win over Big Ten foes. Texas was heavily in the mix, while Michigan, Kentucky and North Carolina also received visits.
"My relationship with the coaching staff was different. They recruited me hard and consistently made me a priority," Thompson told ESPN. "Coach Diebler really cares about all his players. He is on the court working with his players during individual workouts. He was very consistent in his communication and recruitment of me. I know I can rely on him to help me. I watched the team practice. They had great energy and buy-in."
Given his lofty ranking and the expectations that will come with him when he arrives in Columbus, being in college for just a few months is a possibility, but Thompson is willing to be patient and Diebler showed him a development plan.
"I am going there with the intention of improving and winning and making it to the NBA, however long it takes," Thompson said. "I am not focused on being one-and-done. If it happens, that is great.
"Their plan is to help me become the best player I can be and prepare me for the NBA. They see me as a versatile shooter and can defend different positions. They showed me how I would fit on both ends of the floor."
A 6-foot-8 left-handed forward who plays at Western Reserve Academy (Ohio), Thompson is ranked No. 13 in the SC Next 100 -- the top-ranked player in the Midwest.
The combination of his shooting -- Thompson has high-level touch from anywhere on the floor -- and his body control with a 7-4 wingspan makes him likely to be an immediate impact player. He's also an above-average offensive rebounder and crafty scoring option from the elbow, mid-post or on either block. In transition, you want Thompson sprinting behind the 3-point line as he is a true floor spacer.
In the half-court, his multi-dimensional skills and instincts allow him to play different roles in ball-screen actions. He can handle the ball as a shotmaker, driver or playmaker with the awareness and talent to stop and shoot when defenders relax or go under the screen or he can be a major threat as the screen-setter to pop out and space the floor or roll to the rim for paint points.
He was fourth on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in scoring during the spring and summer, averaging 22.8 points to go with 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Thompson was incredibly efficient on the offensive end, shooting nearly 59% from the field, 87.5% from the free-throw line and 40% from 3-point range -- making nearly two 3s per game. He was at his best in July, scoring 30-plus points four times in a five-game stretch at the Palmetto Road Championships, then scoring 35 points later in the month.
Thompson becomes Ohio State's first five-star recruit since D'Angelo Russell, who was also ranked No. 13th in the class of 2014. He's the third member of Diebler's 2026 recruiting class, joining four-star point guard Marcus Johnson (No. 28) and four-star forward Alex Smith. All three current commits are from the state of Ohio.
