Bruce Thornton is one of 73 NBA draft hopefuls who will get a chance to display their skills live in front of scouts at the NBA Scouting Combine.
The renowned Ohio State guard received an invitation to the combine, per a release from the NBA on Friday.
The NBA announced today that 73 players have been invited to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026, which will take place May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 1, 2026
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the AWS NBA G League Draft Combine 2026, pic.twitter.com/9w2ncpacCe
Thornton's 2025-26 Buckeye teammate and star guard John Mobley Jr. did not receive an invite to the combine, but an Ohio State spokesperson confirmed to Eleven Warriors that he is still going through the NBA draft process while maintaining his eligibility and is on the league's list of early entrants. An initial release from the NBA on Monday did not include Mobley as an early entrant.
Thornton aims for a first-round selection in the 2026 NBA draft after solidifying himself as one of the greatest Buckeye hoopers to ever don the Scarlet and Gray. The only four-time captain in team history, he became the school's career points record-holder in his senior season, finishing with 2,164. He also landed at No. 3 all-time in Ohio State history in assists, with 541.
While Thornton started from the first game of his freshman season and became a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, steady improvement led to the best season of his career as a senior in 2025-26. He racked up 19.9 points per game on a 55.4% clip from the field, both career highs, while shooting a fantastic 40% from three. He tacked on 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game to contribute in all facets of winning, guiding Ohio State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years.
Mobley is a major piece the Buckeyes hope to get back for his would-be junior season in 2026-27, which could be likely, given that he's not projected as an NBA draft pick in the latest consensus mock draft. As a sophomore, he picked up 15.7 points per game and shot 41.1% from 3-point range, good for fifth in the Big Ten among qualified shooters. He added 2.8 assists per game en route to honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Mobley announced he'd be going through the NBA draft process while maintaining his collegiate eligibility via social media on March 31. In his posts, he confirmed that he wouldn't be entering the transfer portal and will return to Ohio State if he withdraws from the 2026 NBA draft. May 27 is the deadline for players to withdraw from the draft who wish to maintain their college eligibility.
