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Anthony Thompson becomes Ohio State's first five-star commitment since Jared Sullinger
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- Anthony Thompson becomes Ohio State's first five-star commitment since Jared Sullinger
Ohio State has landed a commitment from its highest-rated men's basketball recruit in 16 years.
After a lengthy recruiting process that led to a list of six final schools, five-star forward Anthony Thompson from Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy has committed to the Buckeyes . The Oct. 21 announcement marks the most significant recruiting battle won by the Buckeyes since Thad Matta signed Jared Sullinger , the No. 3 player in the 2010 class.
Lebanon forward Anthony Thompson shoots during a 50-61 loss to Winton Woods Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
A 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward, Thompson is the No. 7 player in his class, the No. 2 small forward in the nation and the top player in Ohio according to 247Sports.com. Ohio State has not gotten a commitment from a top-10 player or a five-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings since Sullinger.
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Thompson had narrowed his list to six schools : North Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Texas and Kentucky. He took weekly official visits to the schools in that order starting Aug. 22, and his final decision came down to the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers.
As a junior, Thompson averaged roughly 22 points a game and shot "in the high 40s (percentage-wise)" from 3, Western Reserve Academy coach Matt Garvey said. Western Reserve Academy plays with a college 3-point line.
He joins two four-star native Ohioans in the class: Garfield Heights guard Marcus Johnson and Upper Arlington native Alex Smith, who is playing for Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Prolific Prep this season. The three-man class is ranked No. 3 nationally and tops in the Big Ten.
According to nbadraftroom.com, Thompson is a projected top-10 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft .
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Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @ cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @ AdamJardy .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five-star Ohioan Anthony Thompson commits to Jake Diebler, Ohio State
