Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton earns school's Big Ten Medal of Honor
Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton is still winning awards, having been named the school's men's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient.
As if Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton hasn't done enough in his career (ahem, all-time leading scorer, anyone), he's still winning awards even after the season has concluded. Case in point, this week, Thornton was honored as the school's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, which is handed out to a male and female athlete from each conference institution annually for attaining "the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work. " So yeah, it's an award that merits on the field and the scholastic, so you can bet mama will be proud.
It's the greatest all-around award an athlete can win in the Big Ten and has been around since 1915. According to a release, the award "celebrates excellence in both academic and athletic arenas, recognizing student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding leadership, academic achievement, and competitive success. " Thornton was one of 11 nominated for the award and came away as Ohio State's recipient.
He is the 13th men's basketball player to win the award at Ohio State, and the first since Aaron Craft in 2014. He will be remembered as one of the best basketball players to wear the Scarlet and Gray. He finished his career in first place at OSU in points scored with 2,164 points and was a three-time All-Big Ten performer and earned Honorable Mention AP All-American accolades this past season.
Big time honor for Bruce Thornton 🌰 He’s the Men’s Ohio State Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipient 🗣️ @OhioStateHoops | #GoBucks pic. twitter. com/saJzKWuXfP — Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) April 13, 2026 It'll be a little strange not seeing Thornton out there when the basketball season tips off this coming winter, but though he's no longer with the program, his legacy and achievements will live on forever.