Before he goes to Ohio State, Anthony Thompson will have the chance to represent his country.
The five-star prospect who will be a freshman for the Buckeyes in 2026-27 forward will participate in the 2026 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp that will get underway May 21 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Thompson is one of 35 players scheduled to take part in the camp and one of only 18 players from the graduating class of 2026. The 12-man team will be selected from a group that includes players in the 2027 and 2028 classes and will represent the Americans in the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup tournament that will be played June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico.
This is the third time Thompson has been part of a Team USA camp. He attended two junior national team minicamps in 2025, one in April and the other in October.
When he arrives at Ohio State, Thompson will be the program’s highest-rated recruit since Jared Sullinger in 2010 and its first five-star player since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward is the No. 7 prospect in his class according to 247Sports.com.
Thompson is also the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with Ohio State out of high school since Russell. A native of Lebanon, Ohio, Thompson played his final two seasons of prep basketball at Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy.
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson headed to Team USA U18 training camp
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
