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What is the national media saying about Anthony Thompson committing to Ohio State?
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- What is the national media saying about Anthony Thompson committing to Ohio State?
Ohio State landing a men's basketball recruit as highly rated as Anthony Thompson generated plenty of interest from the national media.
On Oct. 21, Thompson, a five-star prospect in the class of 2026, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes . According to 247Sports.com, Thompson is the No. 7 player in the nation, the No. 2 small forward in the country and the top player from Ohio in his class.
Lebanon forward Anthony Thompson shoots during a 50-61 loss to Winton Woods Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
According to Adam Finkelstein, director of basketball scouting for CBS Sports (which owns 247Sports), there's still a chance for the future Buckeye to finish higher in the rankings.
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"He's got a chance to keep climbing," Finkelstein said in a video posted to Twitter. "A 6-foot-8 left forward with a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan, he's young for his grade. He doesn't turn 18 until next summer. He's a very rare overlap of length and shot making ability. His tough shot making is his calling card because he's got that high release, which is virtually unblockable."
Finkelstein called it "an outstanding pickup for Jake Diebler and Ohio State ."
According to On3/Rivals, Thompson is the No. 6 player in his class . In a video interview, national basketball writer Joe Tipton expressed a similar sentiment.
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"Huge pickup for Ohio State here," he said. "Top-five kid deciding to stay home, play for Jake Diebler. He's always done a really good job of recruiting players and making them feel like a priority, even dating back to his time as an assistant coach, so props to him for landing Anthony Thompson. Really like this pickup for Ohio State."
Tipton's colleague Jamie Shaw, senior national recruiting analyst for On3/Rivals, pointed out in the same video that Thompson is the third native Ohioan to commit to the Buckeyes in the class. Thompson joins two other four-star players: Garfield Heights guard Marcus Johnson and forward Alex Smith , an Upper Arlington native playing his senior year at Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Prolific Prep.
More: From Oden to Buford, here's the other 5-stars Ohio State landed before Anthony Thompson
"Diebler … has done a great job targeting that way," Shaw said. "Getting this for Jake Diebler is a big get. Putting a fence around your area, lot of boxes here checked for Jake Diebler."
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In an article published by ESPN , basketball recruiting insider Jeff Borzello and national recruiting director Paul Biancardi cited Thompson's size and skill set for his lofty expectations. Although he's 6-8, Thompson boasts a 7-4¼ wingspan according to ESPN, which ranks him as the No. 13 player in his class and the top prospect from the Midwest.
"He's also an above-average offensive rebounder and crafty scoring option from the elbow, mid-post or on either block," they wrote. "In transition, you want Thompson sprinting behind the 3-point line as he is a true floor spacer. In the half-court, his multi-dimensional skills and instincts allow him to play different roles in ball-screen actions. He can handle the ball as a shot maker, driver or playmaker with the awareness and talent to stop and shoot when defenders relax or go under the screen or he can be a major threat as the screen-setter to pop out and space the floor or roll to the rim for paint points."
Shaw said that Thompson has grown more aggressive as a scorer and become a more up-tempo player, something that should set him up for success in the style of play Diebler prefers.
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According to ESPN, Thompson averaged 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists while playing AAU basketball on the Adidas 3SSB circuit during the spring and summer. He shot "nearly" 59% from the floor, 87.7% from the free-throw line and 40% from 3 while making roughly two shots from deep per game.
"He can really shoot," Shaw said. "He has deep range. Over the past 6-8 months he's gotten aggressive with scoring. He's growing his game at getting downhill. He's really rounded out his game into an up-tempo type of scorer. That's how Jake Diebler likes to play."
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: What is the national media saying about Anthony Thompson to Ohio State?
