How Star Recruit JT Thor Would Fit on OSU’s 2020-21 Basketball Team

With graduate transfer Ferron Flavors committing to be a Cowboy on Monday, Mike Boynton has one more scholarship left.

There are two prominent names that have been thrown around for a while when it comes to OSU recruiting: JT Thor and Donovan Williams. With Flavors being a guard like Williams, Thor would probably make the most sense in terms of building a roster right now. Here are a few ways in which Thor could be implemented into next year’s squad.

1. The Position

For the first time in a long while, OSU needs a new starting power forward after Cameron McGriff’s departure. McGriff started a good chunk of OSU’s games at the four over the past three seasons.

With as many bodies as Boynton will have next year, there will be some question marks in the frontcourt.

Yor Anei will be back after starting most of the Cowboys’ games in his first two years on campus. Kalib Boone also got a good bit of experience in his freshman season, but much of it was him relieving Anei at center.

Other forwards are Hidde Roessink, Keylan Boone (who played on the wing more than a traditional PF), incoming freshmen Montreal Pena and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe.

Pena is coming in as the No. 313 player in the 2020 class, and Moncrieffe is listed as a small forward.

Read the tea leaves, and it seems clear OSU could use another true power forward. Thor fits a need at a position that, at the very least, could use some depth and insurance.

2. The Offensive Abilities

Despite being a long 6-foot-8, Thor can do a lot of things offensively.

He’s a new-age player in that he can attack the basket, shoot and dribble like a guard, but he has the body of a power forward. His shooting abilities in particular would make him a solid fit with OSU’s roster.

He isn’t going to stand in the corner and jack up triples all game, but the fact that he has the ability to shoot will clear the lane for Cade Cunningham and Isaac Likekele to attack the basket and either score or kick to shooters.

With essentially two pass-first point guards (but capable scorers in their own right) sharing the floor, that would logically spell good things for the players surrounding them. Cunningham and Likekele’s names will be No. 1 and 2 on scouting reports for good reason, but their ability to move the ball to other capable scorers would be beneficial for a player with Thor’s abilities.

3. Yor and Thor

One thing almost every new player says about Boynton’s program when they enter it is just how hard he coaches the Cowboys’ passing lane, in-your-face defense.

There will undoubtedly be technique that Thor would have to get down, but his length would make for a scary frontcourt to try to score against next to Anei.

Anei has stuffed 145 shots in his first two seasons of college basketball. That’s already the eighth most in school history. If he gets 145 in his next two seasons, his total of 290 would be 68 more than second place Byron Houston.

Thor is also quite the shot stuffer in high school, and while it’s obviously a different competition level, he has something that can’t be taught in his length.

A defense with a 6-6 point guard, a pick-pocketer in Likekele and those two down low would be a tough out for most teams.