TWIN FALLS, Idaho - The College of Southern Idaho Men's Basketball program is proud to announce the addition of Ben Thornbrue, a versatile 6-8 forward from Hillsboro, Ore.., for the 2025-26 season.
Thornbrue joins the Golden Eagles after a breakout year at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., where he averaged 21.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. His efficiency stood out as he shot 47.9% from the field, 73.4% from the free-throw line, and 26.4% from beyond the arc. His dominant play earned him NWAC Southern Region Player of the Year, Southern Region Freshman of the Year and Southern Region Defensive Player of the Year honors.
"Ben is not only a dynamic player, but a dynamic young man," said CSI Head Coach Jeff Reinert. "We first got a look at Ben last year when we hosted Lane CC during our Thanksgiving tournament — a hard-fought game that ended in a big win for us. Ben stood out in that matchup, putting up 17 points and six rebounds against Isaac Hawkins and Amarco Doyle, two guys with Division I talent. That performance made it clear he could play at a high level. Ben went on to have an outstanding season, earning All-Conference honors and being named NWAC Freshman of the Year. We were in a tough recruiting battle for him, going up against top programs like Northwest Florida, Panola, New Mexico JC, and South Plains — and we're excited he chose us. With the loss of a talented front line from last season, adding a proven, high-impact player like Ben is huge for us. Coach Demond was on him from day one and did an outstanding job building a strong and positive relationship throughout the process."
A multi-sport athlete, Thornbrue was a varsity letterman in both basketball and football at Glencoe High School in Oregon. He was named to the All-Region team in basketball during both his junior and senior seasons.
Thornbrue's toughness, scoring ability, and competitive edge will make an immediate impact as CSI reloads for another run at a Region 18 title.