Bruce Thornton expected for Virginia Tech game, Scotty Middleton still with family
COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler provided the latest updates on the status of sophomore point guard Bruce Thornton and freshman wing Scotty Middleton ahead of the Buckeyes’ second-round NIT matchup against Virginia Tech Saturday night.
Diebler said Thornton practiced Thursday, and the Buckeyes anticipate him being available versus the Hokies. Thornton sprained his ankle in the second half of a thrilling win over Cornell Tuesday and didn’t play the final 10-plus minutes of the game.
Thornton has missed just one game in his young Ohio State career, which he began with 63 straight starts. Actually, the only Buckeyes player who has started more consecutive games to start his career is Michael Redd, who started every game during his three years with the program from 1997-2000.
Thornton’s lone absence came on Feb. 29 when he was sidelined by a migraine, but Ohio State still beat Nebraska at home that night.
Not only is Thornton a captain, but he’s also Ohio State’s leading scorer and assist maker. Thornton is averaging 15.9 points per game and 4.6 assists per game this season. He ranks second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.78).
While Thornton is expected to play against Virginia Tech, Middleton is still attending to a family matter.
“Scotty’s currently still with his family, and our thoughts and prayers are with him,” Diebler said Friday. “There’s no real issues or concerns long term.
“As far as immediate timeline, no real updates there yet.”
Middleton is averaging 4.4 points per game this season but 6.3 points per game since Diebler took over as head coach. During that eight-game span, Middleton has shot a blistering 65% from beyond the arc. In other words, he’s converted 13-of-20 3-pointers.
He recorded four multi-make 3-point games in that run. To put that in perspective, Middleton had logged three such outings in his first 22 appearances for the Buckeyes.
Middleton also brought back the defensive intensity he delivered at the beginning of the season, serving as a catalyst for several Buckeyes transition buckets.
Diebler was asked how the Thornton and Middleton situations affect Ohio State’s preparation for Virginia Tech.
“We’ll just kind of continue based on availability in practice preparing,” Diebler said. “We’ve talked before about the depth of this team and how it’s a real strength. Even this last month, we’ve had to play some big games without some major pieces. So our team’s adjusted. They’ve shown an ability to adjust well to this, and I don’t anticipate that to be an issue.”
