It’s been more than a decade since a high school prospect joined the Ohio State men’s basketball program with expectations as high as they are for Anthony Thompson.
As the first composite five-star recruit to sign with Ohio State since D’Angelo Russell in 2014, and the highest-rated Ohio State signee since Jared Sullinger in 2010, Thompson is the first Buckeye freshman since the Thad Matta era to begin his Ohio State career with first-round NBA draft projections. With that come expectations that Thompson will be an immediate star for the Buckeyes and lead Ohio State on its first deep NCAA Tournament run in over a decade.
Thompson, who was ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2026 class, isn’t shying away from those expectations.
“I think it's something that I came into (Ohio State) expecting. I think I've kind of expected those expectations from everybody as being one of the highest-rated guys,” Thompson said Thursday in his first interview session since arriving at Ohio State. “I definitely embrace them. I think it's just part of my game. I think it's something that I've earned as far as being like a high-rated player. I think I've been able to embrace them and just attack them every day.”
There have been plenty of examples of freshmen becoming immediate stars for the Buckeyes over the last couple of decades. Most famously, the freshman tandem of Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. led Ohio State to the national championship game in the 2007 NCAA Tournament before both were selected in the top four picks of the 2007 NBA draft. Sullinger earned first-team All-American and national freshman of the year honors as he led Ohio State to the No. 1 overall seed and a run to the Sweet 16 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Russell was also a first-team All-American as a freshman, then was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
More recently, Malaki Branham and Brice Sensabaugh were first-round NBA draft picks in back-to-back years (2022 and 2023) after standout freshman seasons for the Buckeyes, leaving a blueprint for Thompson to achieve rapid stardom in Columbus.
Thompson is only 17 years old – he’ll turn 18 in August – so he still has plenty of development in front of him. But after just a couple of months at Ohio State, he already looked the part of a potential star for the Buckeyes this season during the portion of practice that was open to the media on Thursday, knocking down most of the 3-point shots he attempted while demonstrating plenty of athleticism and ability to get to the basket.
Five-star freshman Anthony Thompson showed his shooting, scoring and rebounding ability at Ohio State’s practice on Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/0avUYAtGu1
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 16, 2026
The 6-foot-9 forward has already bulked up to 218 pounds since arriving at Ohio State and says he feels much stronger physically. He also believes he’s improved defensively, particularly with defending guards on the perimeter, which he didn’t do often in high school.
“I’ve already gotten a lot better,” Thompson said. “I've already accomplished some of the goals that I've had coming into the summer.”
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler says he’s already seen a “big difference” in Thompson since the Buckeyes started summer workouts.
“His efficiency is improving, and I think that's part of the game slowing down. He's getting more shots off, that's part of the game slowing down. And he's starting to get better defensively,” Diebler said.
Defense and rebounding remain areas where Thompson must continue to improve, Diebler said, but Thompson’s length and athleticism will allow him to make up for some imperfections in his game as he fine-tunes his skill set.
“Anthony has an ability to erase some mistakes and get up and protect the rim,” Diebler said.
Diebler built Ohio State’s roster this offseason with the intention of not putting too much pressure on Thompson so that he has time to grow and develop. Returning starters John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum are the Buckeyes’ foundational players. Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams is another candidate to start on the wing and will likely rotate with Thompson – and play alongside him in some lineups – regardless of who starts. Andrija Jelavic, Josh Ojianwuna, Ivan Njegovan and fellow freshman Alex Smith are other candidates to play in the frontcourt alongside Bynum and Thompson.
That said, there’s no question that Thompson has the highest ceiling of any player on Ohio State’s roster entering the 2026-27 season, and the door is wide open for him to be a game-one starter in the frontcourt and an immediate centerpiece of the Buckeyes if he continues to develop as he has so far.
“I feel like I can do everything on the court that my coach needs me to,” Thompson said when asked to describe his game. “I feel like I can guard really any position. And I feel like I can score from anywhere on the court.”
Asked about the possibility of going to the NBA after just one year at Ohio State, Thompson didn’t answer directly, saying his focus is on helping the Buckeyes win this upcoming season. But he certainly wants to give himself that option by showing his elite talent right away.
“I'm kind of coming in with that expectation of playing as much as I can and making the most production and if something happens, it happens,” Thompson said. “But I'm not focused on the NBA. I'm focused on winning games here.”
