The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball program and head coach Darian DeVries have missed out on another elite recruit as Anthony Thompson, the No. 8 overall prospect in the class of 2026, announced his commitment to Ohio State earlier this afternoon.
The 6-foot-8 small forward picked Ohio State over other finalists that included Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, and Purdue.
According to the latest 247Sports Composite rankings,Thompson is the No. 8 overall prospect in the nation, No. 2 small forward and the top player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2026. Thompson becomes the fourth-highest-rated prospect the Buckeyes have landed since 2000, trailing only Greg Oden (1.000), B.J. Mullens (0.9989) and Jared Sullinger (0.9983).
Thompson averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals as a junior for Lebanon. The Ohio native recently transferred to Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio for this senior season.
This past summer, Thompson was on the Adidas 3Stripes Select circuit, averaging 22 points per game on 53% shooting, including shooting 39% from the 3-point line. He also performed well on the defensive end, recording 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.
Breaking: Five-star senior Anthony Thompson tells ESPN that he has committed to Ohio State.
— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) October 21, 2025
“The staff made me a priority. I know I can rely on coach Jake Diebler to help me grow and reach the next level,” Thompson said.
High-level 6-8 shotmaker, ranked No. 13 in SC Next 100. pic.twitter.com/deiD5dR2zU
Thompson had been to Indiana previously on two visits, his "OV" official vist was on September 12th on campus in Bloomington.
"I picked Ohio State because I felt most confident in the staff being able to help me improve and be able to thrive the best," Thompson told 247Sports of his decision to commit to Ohio State.
The Indiana men's basketball program has one commit for the 2026 recruiting class in combo guard Prince-Alexander Moody from District Heights, Maryland.
Indiana is also still after big time recruits in Jordan Smith Jr, Derron Rippley Jr, Cole Coler and Miikka Muurinen.
Jake Diebler and Ohio State will take on Darian DeVries and Indiana on March 7th in 2026 this season.