Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Farewell, Marcus Thornton

Let's take a moment to appreciate those who won't be lacing them up again for the Bulldogs next season.

Previously:  Taylor Echols
Previously:  Cameron Forte
Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic


I regret that it has taken me so long to post this.  Marcus Thornton goes down as one of my favorite Dawgs to cheer for, well, ever.  The personal fortitude it took to overcome early illness and injury was remarkable.  That he did all of that while transforming himself from a high school small forward into one of the SEC's best post players is just incredible.

Marcus Thornton

Relevant Career Totals

  • 133 games played
  • 6.2 ppg
  • 5.0 rebounds per game
  • 36% 3-point

Now You Know

Marcus improved his free throw percentage every year on campus, from a low of 41% during his true freshman campaign all the way to a high of 69% during his redshirt senior season.  His attempts increased each season as well, peaking at 6.6/game.

My Favorite Marcus Thornton Moment

If it was hard to pick a single moment with Nemi, it's near impossible with Marcus.  His game isn't flashy.  Unfortunately, what could have been his best dunk instead turned into a season-defining play for Georgia (and not in a good way).

If pressed, though, I'd say the disastrous tournament in Charleston stands out in my mind.  Why?  Because that's when a finally-healthy Marcus Thornton started to flash some of the post presence that would ultimately transform his career.  None of the lines he put up were spectacular, but the pieces started to fall into place.  The body was there.  The spin move was there.  The rebounding was there.

I left that tournament dejected, but I also left thinking, "Hey, Marcus may be onto something here."

It's too easy to get lost in what-ifs with Marcus.  What if he had been healthy from the start?  What if his knees never gave out?

Let's not play that game.  Instead, let's be thankful we had Marcus at all, by all accounts as good a citizen off of the court as he was a player on it.

Farewell, Marcus.  You're a DGD, and you're welcome around these parts anytime.

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