Ohio State's two talented class of 2026 basketball commitments are officially Buckeyes.
On Wednesday, five-star small forward Anthony Thompson and four-star power forward Alex Smith signed their scholarship agreements with Ohio State.
Thompson is the No. 8 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 2 small forward. A gifted left-handed scorer, he was dynamite facing fellow elite talent on the Adidas 3Stripes Circuit this past summer, averaging 22 points per game on 53% shooting, 39% from 3-point range. He added 1.9 blocks per game. Thompson is the fourth-highest-rated prospect in the history of the composite to commit to Ohio State, trailing only Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens and Jared Sullinger.
“Anthony is a special player. His combination of size, skill, and athleticism gives him unique versatility,” Jake Diebler said in Ohio State’s press release announcing the signings. “Who he is, aligns with what our program is all about and the basketball IQ he has will help him be really impactful right away. Being from Ohio and coming to Ohio State means something to him, and we are excited for Anthony and his family to join ours!”
Buckeye nation, introducing Anthony Thompson #GoBucks | @ant_thompson26 https://t.co/X33i1NneIc pic.twitter.com/FwkloBuur9
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 12, 2025
Smith committed to Ohio State more than a year ago, fulfilling his dream of wearing Scarlet and Gray after growing up in Ohio. His stock has skyrocketed since that time, going from unranked in the composite rankings for his class to No. 145 overall and No. 25 at power forward. He transferred from local Upper Arlington High School to Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Prolific Prep ahead of his 2025-26 senior season after averaging 19.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game as a junior at UA in 2024-25.
“Alex and his family love the Buckeyes, and we couldn’t be more excited for him to officially join our family,” Diebler said. “He is highly skilled, has positional size, and a high basketball IQ which will be an asset for us. Alex has shown tremendous growth as a player because of his work ethic and will fit perfectly into the culture of our program because of who he is.”
Introducing Alex Smith#GoBucks | @alexx_smith26 https://t.co/qib4zTfiHJ pic.twitter.com/XQ3gxq9mIg
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 12, 2025
Both Smith and Thompson hail from Ohio, as Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler has worked to keep the best talent in-state. Despite holding just two commitments, the Buckeyes hold the No. 31-ranked class in the composite on Early Signing Day. They are 11th among teams with two or fewer signees.
“Today is a great day for the future of Ohio State Basketball,” Diebler said. “The combination of talent and character from both Alex and Anthony make them a perfect fit. Both have deep Ohio roots and will take great pride in wearing the Scarlet and Gray.”
