Marcus Thornton

Height:
6-8
Weight:
235
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Atlanta, Ga.
High School:
Westlake High School

• Competed in his final collegiate season as a graduate student, pursuing a Master’s degree in Sports Management.

2014-15 Season
• Coaches’ All-SEC 2nd team selection; also named to the SEC Coaches’ All-Defensive Team. Honorable Mention All-SEC by Associated Press.
• Led the Bulldogs in scoring & rebounding throughout his final season.
• Missed 2 games (not coincidentally, both UGA losses) after a hard foul in Vandy game Jan. 27 resulted in a concussion.
• Career-high 24 points in win at Chattanooga marked his first time as a collegian over the 20-point mark.
• Seven of his 10 career double-doubles came in his senior season, lastly in the NCAA Tournament vs. Michigan State.
• In crucial win at Ole Miss, he had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the second half alone, finishing with 18 and 13.
• Scored 46 percent of his career points in just 31 games this season.
• The regular-season finale at Auburn was his 130th career game, a UGA record.
• Named to the 2015 SEC Community Service Team for the second straight year.
• Also named to the 2015 SEC Winter Honor Roll.

2013-14 Season
• Surpassed Donte’ Williams as the Bulldogs’ top rebounder, thanks to some serious board work in the SEC schedule. Career-high 13 rebounds Jan. 18 vs. Arkansas.
• Also led the team in blocked shots with 45.
• Had three double-doubles last season, lastly at South Carolina on Feb. 22.
• Career-high 16 points in NIT first-round win vs. Vermont included critical 3-point play with 1:34 left.
• Second career double-double Feb. 6 vs. LSU (15 pts., 10 rebs.).
• Twice reached career scoring high in Charleston Classic, first vs. Temple and again with 13 pts. vs. Nebraska. Also played career-best 33 minutes vs. the Huskers.
• Won “Most Inspirational” and “The Rock” awards at team’s post-season banquet. The latter award goes to the Georgia player who presents the best, most stabilizing force on the team.
• One of 11 student-athletes chosen to participate in the UGA Athletic Association’s Student-Athlete Leadership Academy in the 2013-14 school year.

2012-13 Season
• Granted a medical redshirt season after appearing in just nine games in 2012-13.
• Underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Dec. 26; was team’s top rebounder at time of injury.
• Had a team-best 10 boards vs. UCLA.

2011-12 Season
• Missed 5 games after arthroscopic surgery on right knee. Returned to the court Jan. 18 in Tennessee game and logged 23 minutes.
• At the point of his injury, he had started in nine of 12 games and was leading the Bulldogs in rebounding at 5.8 boards per game.
• Posted new career highs in points, (10 vs. Arkansas) rebounds (10 vs. South Dakota State) and minutes (31 vs. Bowling Green) in 2012.
• Was the Bulldogs’ leading rebounder with nine in their upset win in overtime at #20 Mississippi State.
• Scored just two points in Georgia’s win at Southern Cal, but they were critical to the victory: a pair of foul shots with 1:49 left that put the Bulldogs ahead 57-54.

2010-11 Season
• Played in 32 games and averaged 9.4 minutes as a frontcourt reserve for the Bulldogs.
• Proved to be an effective rebounder and shot blocker in his limited time.
• Average time was slightly higher (10.1 mpg) in SEC play.
• Had several games in which he contributed highly productive play in a short time span.
• Season highlight was likely his 7-point, 9-rebound effort in just 17 minutes of the Bulldogs’ win at home over Miss. State.
• Posted similar numbers in Georgia’s home win over South Carolina (7 pts, 6 rebs. in just 12 minutes of play).
• Hit the first of two 3-pointers of the season as a shot clock buzzer-beater in first-half action at home vs. Kentucky.
• Also joined the scoring parade with six points (+ four rebounds) in Georgia’s 98-76 win at Ole Miss.
• Twice played a season-high 18 minutes, first against High Point and three weeks later at Vanderbilt.
• Fifth among all Bulldogs in blocks with 19.
• Missed the LSU game (home finale) because of complications related to a staph infection on his right elbow.

Prep Highlights
• Named “Mr. Basketball” in Georgia for 2010 by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• As a senior he averaged 23.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game for Westlake, which reached the state championship game in Class 5A, Georgia’s largest classification.
• 2010 marked the Lions’ third state Final Four berth in the four years Thornton played in the program.
• First-team All-America selection to the ESPN Rise All-America team.
• Fourth-team All-America selection by Parade magazine.
• Named Georgia Athletic Coaches Association 2010 Class AAAAA North Player of the Year.
• Winner of Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2009 Slam Dunk Championship.
• Ranked the 26th-best power forward in the nation by Rivals.com, 34th-best by Scout.com.

Personal
Full Name: Marcus Jelani Thornton
Birthdate/Birthplace: Aug. 12, 1992 / Atlanta, Ga.
Parents: Billy and Meril Thornton
Academic Major: Real Estate (Undergraduate) / Sports Management (Graduate)