Ohio State's star point guard is starting against Georgia despite being listed as questionable.
Bruce Thornton will play in the Buckeyes’ NIT quarterfinal after he was listed as questionable on the team's availability report Tuesday. Scotty Middleton, the Buckeyes' top wing off the bench, remains out despite returning to the team over the weekend after dealing with a family matter.
Thornton is Ohio State's leading scorer and passer on the season, picking up 15.8 points and 4.6 assists per game. He's had a rocky go with his health in the NIT, spraining his ankle against Cornell in the first round and missing the final 10 minutes of action.
Thornton returned against Virginia Tech in the second round only to take a knee to the thigh in the waning minutes, leading to his questionable status for Tuesday's game.
Jake Diebler said Monday that Middleton is still “processing” the emotions of the family matter that he dealt with last week. On the season Middleton sees more usage off the bench than any of the Buckeyes' freshmen, scoring 4.4 points in 15.3 minutes per game.
Freshman forward Devin Royal is likely to see his minutes remain high on the wing as a result of Middleton's absence. Hardman and Bonner are options for three-guard lineups if Diebler wants to play small ball.
Ohio State battles Georgia for a spot in the NIT semifinals at 7 p.m. in Value City Arena. ESPN is set to televise the game.
