Ohio State basketball's Bruce Thornton makes bold claim about Michigan matchups

All eyes have been on the No. 1 nationally ranked football team, but the guys on the court are poised to have just as impressive a season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes' Bruce Thornton appeared before the media at the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday and spoke to what everybody should expect to see from the team in the 2025-26 season. They will kick off their season on Monday, Nov. 3, against the Indiana University of Indianapolis Jaguars at home.

In Big Ten play, the Buckeyes will take on a number of high-profile opponents to start off 2026, including two big clashes against the team up north. In the preseason poll, they were picked to finish ninth in the conference, with the Wolverines picked to finish second.

Ohio State and Michigan will face off against one another on Jan. 23 and Feb. 8, a span of just 16 days in between both meetings.

Thornton, who was selected as a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, spoke to the rivalry with the Wolverines and his prediction on how the results will go.

“We’re going to beat them twice before I leave out,” he said. “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?”

In his three years with the team, the senior guard has averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. He was also impressive in his shooting consistency, hitting 46% of his field goals and 37% of his three-point attempts. While he hasn't drawn any conference or national honors yet, his final collegiate season is set to be a chance for him to rewrite that storyline.

Since his freshman season, he has gradually grown as a player, averaging more points, rebounds, assists, steals and shooting splits in each season. One of the most reliable aspects of his game has been his ability to stay on the court.

He went from averaging 30.5 minutes a night in his first year to 36.2 minutes a night last year.

However, it seems the focus is solely on leading this team to wins and less on statistical achievements.

Since joining the program in the 2022-23 campaign, Thornton has started all but three games in his time in the scarlet and grey. During that time, Ohio State has amassed a record of 55-48, holding a negative record in just his freshman year.

Across that time, the Wolverines have beaten the Buckeyes 3-out-of-4 times, with the only win coming back on March 3, 2024, in Columbus, 84-61. The last meeting came on Feb. 16, 2025, with the Buckeyes falling, 86-83, at home.