BATON ROUGE - LSUsports.net will catch up with former Tigers playing in the NBA over the next two months courtesy of Eric Lopez, who covers the Orlando Magic for AM 1420 WAOC ESPN Radio. The second edition features Marcus Thornton in his rookie season with the New Orleans Hornets.
Thornton returned to his hometown of Baton Rouge after two seasons at Kilgore College. He posted 19.6 points per game during his first SEC season in 2007-08 and buried 90 triples, the second-most for a single season in LSU history as he earned All-SEC Second-Team accolades.
Thornton took his game to the next level under the tutelage of head coach Trent Johnson. He became a more complete player with his ability to drive to the bucket, score, draw free throws and defend en route to consensus 2008-09 SEC Player of the Year and Rivals.com Second-Team All-American.
Thornton compiled 21.1 points per game during his senior campaign, the first player at LSU since Ronnie Henderson in 1996 to average over 20 points in a season. He exploded for 15 points with two assists, including the game-winning pass in the final nine-plus minutes of the second half to fuel the Tigers rally from a 10-point deficit at Kentucky to secure the SEC Regular Season championship.
Thornton racked up 30 points on 10-of-15 from the floor to lead LSU to a victory over Butler in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. He followed that up with 25-point performance on five treys as the Tigers held a second-half advantage over eventual national champion North Carolina. Thornton's 20.4 points per game average is sixth, while his 1,347 career points ranks 21st in the LSU record book.
Thornton was selected with the 43rd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. His rights were immediately traded to New Orleans on the next pick. He started the season coming off the bench and steadily worked his way into the Hornets rotation.
Thornton earned his first NBA start on Jan. 25 and poured in 19 points as the Hornets edged the Trail Blazers 98-97 in Portland. The Baton Rouge native has eclipsed 15 or more points on 14 occasions this season and is averaging 19.7 point per game in six starts.
