This week, Gonzaga landed a commitment from wing Dooney Johnson, a top 30 recruit in the 2027 class; Loyola-Chicago will honour Sister Jean with a patch on its jerseys; and the NCAA has decided to delay the rule change that will allow players and staff to bet on professional sports games. Other college basketball stories we’re following include…

Bruce Thornton Deserves More Love

The Ohio State Buckeyes made solid progress in 2023-24 (22 wins), but gave it almost all back last season, regressing by five wins and stretching their NCAA tourney drought to three years.

However, this squad is returning several key players and has enough talent that some believe they can challenge for a spot among the top 25. The key for OSU this season is seeing how much better senior Bruce Thornton can get. He was a huge part of last season’s statement win over Kentucky, and is considered by ESPN to be a top 25 player in the country.

Thornton has gotten better each year, last season seeing more action than ever (he barely left the floor) and upping his shooting from inside the arc, downtown and at the charity stripe, leading to new heights in scoring. He also did a better job of staying out of foul trouble, although his turnovers were up a smidge, likely just a product of playing 3.5 more minutes per game.

Thornton is again expected to hog backcourt minutes this season, and if he can maintain or improve on the shooting efficiency gains he made in 2024-25, you’re going to be hearing a lot more about him.

With a powerful 215-pound frame, he’s a matchup nightmare for opposing guards, but the draft buzz hasn’t followed. It’s possible Thornton’s height (6’2”) and the fact he isn’t necessarily seen as a true PG has clouded his NBA projection, but if he keeps performing, he’ll have to be given a shot. At the very least, you’d think that he could be a useful backup PG at the next level.

Thornton is tough, can play D and has the bulk to survive in the NBA, so we’ll be keeping an eye on him this season to see if he starts garnering more draft interest.

Can Josh Hubbard Draw Draft Attention?

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have never been much of a basketball force, but they have found a consistent level of modest success in recent years. With three straight 21-win seasons and NCAA conference appearances in each, this is the best sustained run the school has had since the 2000s.

The Bulldogs should have a more athletic frontcourt capable of throwing a block party, but less scoring potential. For offense, Mississippi State will rely heavily on junior guard Josh Hubbard, a John Wooden Award longshot (+6500 as per FanDuel).

Hubbard became a full-time starter last season, seeing a big uptick in PT, and while he set career bests in several categories, his three-point shooting regressed a tad.

An All-SEC First Team preseason selection for 2025-26, he earned this designation with his solid showing last season considering how tough the conference was in 2024-25. Hubbard opted to declare for the draft before withdrawing to return for his junior season. As with Thornton, size (6’0”, 190) may be an issue for Hubbard come future drafts, but he’s definitely proven he can fill up the bucket at the collegiate level.

Hubbard is another player who will have to take an even bigger step forward this season to start catching the eye of NBA scouts.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

English pop rockers Tears for Fears got their start in 1981 and have remained active since. They’ve had some solid albums, but nothing that touched their brilliantly depressing debut in 1983, The Hurting. The album kicked off with the dark and haunting title track, which set the tone for the stupendous melancholy to follow.

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