Story by
Ohio State to host Anthony Thompson, Ohio's top-rated senior in nearly 15 years, on visit
- Story by
- Ohio State to host Anthony Thompson, Ohio's top-rated senior in nearly 15 years, on visit
There's an upside to working out with Anthony Thompson on the basketball court. Simply put, it's not much work.
It was about two years ago that Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy coach Matt Garvey first became aware of the talented in-state forward from Lebanon. Roughly a year later, Thompson opted to transfer and play for Garvey, and it became clear very quickly that there was something special about Thompson.
Advertisement
"He's fun to work out because you're not chasing the ball all over the gym very often," Garvey said.
It's a humorous encapsulation of why Thompson is ranked as the No. 1 player from Ohio in the 2026 class. Now standing nearly 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Thompson boasts a 7-3 wingspan and consensus five-star status in the major recruiting rankings.
"His skill set at that size jumps out at you right away," Garvey said.
According to the 247Sports.com composite, he is the No. 9 prospect in his class. Thompson is the highest-rated player to play his senior season in Ohio since Jared Sullinger was the No. 3 player in the 2010 class rankings.
Advertisement
"His ability to shoot the ball at an elite, elite clip is very, very impressive," continued Garvey. "You could tell his body, his athleticism still had not completely caught up with his growth spurt (a year ago), so you knew in some ways he was still playing the long game."
Lebanon forward Anthony Thompson shoots during a 50-61 loss to Winton Woods Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
Now, Garvey said Thompson is essentially a guard in a forward's body with a well-earned reputation as a shooter. He's also young for his class, having just turned 17 on Aug. 9.
"He's polished in a lot of ways," Garvey said. "He has a really good mid-post, low-post game. His ability to perform with guard-type skills at 6-8, 6-9, it's very rare. You can ask all the big talking heads nationally, he's arguably the best shooter in the 2026 class.
Advertisement
"He was always a really good guard, jump shooter. Now he's pushing 6-foot-9, and that skill set still exists. His body, his athleticism and muscle tone have caught up to that growth spurt."
More: How much will Ohio State pay its nonconference foes in 2025-26, and how much will it make?
Those skills have allowed Thompson to thrive in ball screen situations both as a ball handler and a screener, Garvey said. His shooting ability keeps defenders from helping off of him and forces them to go over a screen, allowing Thompson to make the right read and dish to an open teammate or hit his own shot.
As a junior, Thompson averaged roughly 22 points a game and shot "in the high 40s (percentage-wise)" from 3, Garvey said. Western Reserve Academy plays with a college 3-point line.
Advertisement
"(Colleges) can see that he's doing things that translate, things they're going to ask him to do at the next level," he said. "He's definitely evolved over the last five, six months as well, playing in ball screens."
In April, Thompson narrowed the list of schools he was considering to around 15 before announcing his top seven schools in late July. Ohio State is on that list alongside Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue and Texas. This fall, Thompson has scheduled multiple official visits beginning with a trip to see the Buckeyes during the weekend of Aug. 29.
"They offered him his sophomore year, that spring, and it's been ramped up since, " Garvey said. "I think coach (Jake) Diebler was the lead on that before he even got the (head coaching) job, and as Anthony has grown in the rankings and is now the No. 1 player in the state, he's the highest priority for Ohio State to try to keep a kid that talented in the state."
When Thompson takes his visits, Garvey said he's encouraged him to ask questions, get a feel for how practices and workouts are structured and build a relationship with the head coach. At Ohio State, that means spending time with Diebler, who is entering his second season leading the team and recruited Thompson prior to that when he was a Buckeyes assistant.
Advertisement
"Jake's recruited our program since he's been there," Garvey said. "His relationship with Anthony has been ongoing. There's calls, FaceTimes, they text. He's been an active presence on campus. It's definitely boots on the ground for him in terms of the recruiting process."
The hope is to pick a school and sign during the early signing period, Garvey said, but that is contingent on Thompson feeling comfortable with his final decision. If he's not ready to pick a school this fall, he won't rush a choice just to sign in November.
He's likely to major in a business- or finance-related field in college.
"It's hard to explain who Anthony is as a kid because he's so unique, taking basketball out of it," Garvey said. "He's a quiet, soft-spoken young man, but I cannot stress enough how motivated he is academically."
Advertisement
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: Ohio State to host top-rated 2026 Ohioan Anthony Thompson on official visit
