Ohio State and Michigan will battle in Columbus and Ann Arbor this season. Bruce Thornton said the Buckeyes will win both games.
In an appearance at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, Thornton shared his excitement to face the Wolverines twice this season. He said, with confidence, that Ohio State will win both matchups.
“We’re going to beat them twice before I leave out,” he said, per The Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy. “I feel like there ain’t no better feeling than that. I feel like we’re very capable this year of making that happen. Why not us?”
As Ohio State’s longest-tenured player, Thornton has played Michigan four times in his three years of college basketball. The Buckeyes went 1-3 in those matchups, with their lone win coming at home in March 2024 while Jake Diebler was still the program’s interim coach. The Wolverines claimed victory this past February with an 86-83 result in Columbus.
When Ohio State and Michigan face off in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will honor Columbus native and Wolverine legend Trey Burke and retire his number. When asked if that decision was a coincidence or intentional, Michigan coach Dusty May smiled.
“Quite a coincidence,” he said.
When 5 becomes 6! Michigan legend & 2013 National Player of the Year @TreyBurke will see his No. 3 rise into the Crisler rafters Jan. 23 vs. Ohio State. #GoBlue | https://t.co/K0Pmlt3SMS#HonoredSix pic.twitter.com/CdL2qle4bw
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) October 3, 2025
According to a media poll from The Columbus Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star, Michigan was picked to finish second in the Big Ten this season, while Ohio State was picked to finish ninth. In a separate poll, Thornton earned preseason All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season. The Georgia native is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, including second-team honors last year.
THE Bruce Thornton is Preseason All Big Ten #GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/awzW8A4vtn
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 7, 2025
