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.

Farewell, Nemanja Djurisic

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

Nemanja Djurisic

Relevant Career Totals

• 131 games played
• 8.6 ppg
• 4.4 rebounds per game
• 36% 3-point

Now You Know

Since 1997-98 (the time period available at www.sports-reference.com/cbb), Nemi is top 20 in career SEC minutes played (3188), offensive rebounds (209), and defensive rebounds (372).

My Favorite Nemanja Djurisic Moment

It's hard to pick one moment with Nemi, and that's simply because there were too many great moments to choose from.  His skill was evident from the first time he took the court, and his improvement was steady and, ultimately, quite dramatic by the time his senior year rolled around.

I loved his little soccer volleys before inbounds plays.  I loved his shooter's mentality (the next one is always going in).  I loved his slow-but-effective European post moves.

But my favorite moment comes from way back in January, 2014.  That's when Georgia announced themselves as a player in the SEC by going on the road and beating Missouri, and it never would have happened if not for Mr. Djurisic.

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

Farewell: Cameron Forte

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

Previously:  Taylor Echols

Cameron Forte

 

Relevant Career Totals (Georgia only)

• 64 games played
• 3.7 ppg
• 2.4 rebounds per game
• 1 offensive rebound per game

Now You Know

Forte was extremely productive considering his relatively low playing time.  He averaged 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks for every 40 minutes on the court.  Cam was instant energy off the bench, and his numbers bear that out.

My Favorite Cameron Forte Moment

The game winner against Alabama, right?  Actually, no.  That was a huge shot (perhaps the biggest of 2014-15), but my favorite moment came on January 17th in the wire-to-wire victory against Florida.  Highlight not available, unfortunately, but Cam caught the ball at the free throw line, put it on the floor, went left, and spun to the basket for a layup.  It was one of many "no no yes!" moments from Forte, and it produced two of my favorite points this season.

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

Farewell: Taylor Echols

It's hard to turn the page and focus on 2016 before the class of 2015 is even finalized (and we all hope it is not), so let's take a moment to appreciate those who won't be lacing them up again for the Bulldogs next season.

Taylor Echols

 

Relevant Career Totals

• 48 games played
• 1.4 ppg
• 36% three point percentage

Now You Know

Taylor attempted 65 shots in his career and only three of those shots were from inside the 3-point arc.  He was 0/3.

My Favorite Taylor Echols Moment

Georgia was without Kenny Gaines in the 2015 SEC Tournament semifinal match-up against Arkansas, and everyone had the Razorbacks winning.  Turns out everyone was right.  No one told Echols, though, and he scored 10 points (15% of his career output) in the second half to keep things interesting.  Having a national TV audience watch you rain threes in the SEC Tournament isn't a bad way to end your career.

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