After months of buzz and three visits to Lexington, this 5-star forward’s decision blindsided Big Blue Nation. Here’s how it all unfolded behind the scenes.
Despite multiple visits to Lexington and high interest from Mark Pope’s staff, one of Kentucky basketball’s top 2026 recruiting targets is heading elsewhere.
Anthony Thompson — a 6-foot-8 small forward from Ohio ranked No. 8 nationally in the 2026 class by 247Sports Composite — announced his commitment to Ohio State on Tuesday morning. His final list also included Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, and Texas.
Thompson took official visits to every school in his final group except Purdue, including three separate trips to Kentucky over the past year. Those visits included Big Blue Madness in October 2024, the Wildcats’ home win over eventual national champion Florida in January, and his most recent official visit just last month.
Thompson’s commitment gives Ohio State its highest-ranked high school recruit since D’Angelo Russell in 2014, and boosts the Buckeyes’ 2026 class to No. 3 nationally. The group already includes four-star point guard Marcus Johnson and power forward Alex Smith.
“Due to his immense versatility and scalability, Thompson will surely find ways to add value in any system,” said Pro Insight Basketball analyst Zach Welch. “He’s scheme-versatile — whether it’s attacking close-outs, running off screens, or handling the ball, he can fit in.”
Thompson, who has an endorsement deal with Adidas, was considered a priority target for Pope’s first full recruiting cycle at Kentucky. “They kind of just told me how big of a priority I am for them with my versatility and shooting,” Thompson said over the summer. “Obviously, it’s a really storied program — a blue blood.”
His decision marks the fifth 2026 recruit offered by Kentucky to commit elsewhere, joining Jason Crowe Jr. (Missouri), Taylen Kinney (Kansas), Tajh Ariza (Oregon), and Cole Cloer (NC State). That leaves Kentucky as one of only three SEC programs — along with Auburn and Georgia — still without a 2026 commitment.
Even so, there isn’t much panic in Lexington. The Wildcats remain strongly positioned with Tyran Stokes, the top-ranked recruit in the 2026 class. The Louisville native, now playing in California, is widely seen as the cornerstone target for Pope’s next class.
Kentucky is also in the mix for several other high-profile prospects, including guards Deron Rippey Jr. and Jordan Smith, wings Baba Oladotun, Caleb Holt, and Bryson Howard, forward Christian Collins, and centers Arafan Diane and Josh Irving. Oladotun just wrapped up an official visit to Lexington last weekend, while Irving — who has Kentucky, Louisville, and Texas A&M in his final three — could be nearing a decision soon.
Despite the current lack of commitments, Pope says the recruiting strategy is about fit, not rankings.
“I think the process is even more fun than it’s ever been,” Pope said at UK’s media day earlier this month. “The most important part for us isn’t just finding the highest-ranked player. You’d be shocked at how many times we mutually walk away — because we know what Kentucky is. Finding the right player here means more than chasing numbers.”
With the early signing period approaching on November 12–19, all eyes are now on whether Pope can close the deal with Stokes — and turn the page on one of his first big recruiting misses.
