#5 Marcus Thornton Season 2007-08
2009 Coaches, AP All-SEC First Team
2009 Coaches, AP All-SEC Player of the Year
2009 USBWA District VII Player of the Year
2009 USBWA All-District VII
2009 NABC First Team All-District 21
2009 Wooden Award National Ballot
2009 Rivals.com Second Team All-American
2009 Louisiana Player of the Year
2009 All-Louisiana First Team
2008 Coaches All-SEC Team
2008 AP All-SEC Second Team
2008 All-Louisiana First Team; Newcomer of the Year
SEC Player of the Week, Jan. 27, March 2, 2009
ESPN National Player of the Week, March 2, 2009
NABC, USBWA All-District First Team
USBWA All-District Player of the Year
Wooden Award Finalist
2009 SEC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC
SENIOR SEASON (2008-09)
Consensus SEC Player of the Year as he again showed his ability to score from long range, but under first-year head coach Trent Johnson became a more complete player with his ability to drive to the bucket and score and draw free throws and his ability this year to be able to defend … Averaged 21.1 points for the season, the first player at LSU since Ronnie Henderson in 1996 to average over 20 points in a season … He also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game … He was second in the league in scoring in both overall and SEC games (22.7 ppg) … Had two bit second halves to swing games LSU’s way … In the second half of the Mississippi State game (1/21), Thornton had a 3:40 stretch where he would score 16 of his 31 points to allow LSU to take control of the game … In the game that gave LSU the outright conference title at Kentucky (2/28), Thornton scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half and had 15 points with two assists, including the game-winning pass in the final nine-plus minutes to help LSU rally from a 10-point deficit … Scored 30 points in the NCAA Tournament first round game against Butler (3/19) hitting 10-of-15 field goals with four assists and three steals … Hit 10 field goals and five treys in 25 points against North Carolina (3/21) … Back-to-back 30-point games against Mississippi State (1/21) and Xavier (1/24), first time anyone has posted back-to-back 30-point games since 1995 … Against Arkansas (1/31) became the 38th player in LSU history to go over 1,000 career points and just the 10th to do it under two years of play at LSU … Finished the year with a career long 19 consecutive games in double figures … Seven 30-point games this season, 10 for career … 37 games of 20 or more … Double doubles against McNeese (12/22 – 15 pts-11 reb) and Mississippi State (2/11 – 19 pts-10 reb.) to give him six for his LSU career … Finished eighth all-time in season points with 739 and seventh in season three-pointers with 75 … Finishes at LSU 21st in all-time scoring with 1,347 points … 20.4 career average is sixth best at LSU … Eighth in career three-point makes with 168 … Finished eighth in career percentage at 38.2 percent.
JUNIOR SEASON (2007-08)
Finished with 90 treys, the second-most for a single season in LSU history … Second in the SEC in scoring, third in free throw percentage .. Leader in scoring in the 16-game league season at 21.6 ppg … 27 games in double figures, including 17 of 20 or more … Hit for 38 twice, at Auburn in team’s first SEC win (1/30), hitting 14-of-23 field goals and eight treys … Also hit for 38 in the regular-season finale at Mississippi State, making 13-of-27 field goals, including six treys … Three games over 30, including 36 in win at home over Georgia (3/2) … Posted what was then the single biggest SEC-vs.-SEC scoring game (38) in almost 13 years at Auburn (1/30) … Five or more treys in a game five times … Hit three-pointer that forced overtime and was ESPN’s No. 2 play of the day in OT loss against Arizona State at Maui (11/21) … Four double-doubles: 18 pts-12 reb vs. Arizona State (11/21); 15 pts-13 reb., at Villanova (12/6); 12 pts-11 reb., at Wichita State (12/19); 36 pts-10 reb., vs. Georgia (3/2) … 13 times was perfect at the free throw line .. Played just four minutes off the bench at Arkansas (2/20), suffering from a hip flexor in the only game he didn’t start in his career … Prior to the season was the leading scorer on the three-game Canadian Tour, averaging 26 points a game.
PRIOR TO LSU
Played at Kilgore College for two seasons, graduating in the summer of 2007, after playing high school ball at Tara High in Baton Rouge … Was named a first-team All-American junior college player in 2007 … He was also awarded MVP honors for Region XIV after averaging 27 points and 6.5 rebounds, hitting 74 three-pointers … He was named MVP of the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association Classic, scoring 19 points for the Texas All-Stars vs. The National All-Stars.
PERSONAL
Born in Baton Rouge on June 5, 1987 … Right-handed … Parents are Nancy West and Lloyd Woods … Two brothers, one younger, Jonathan, and one older, Beanie … Majoring in interdisciplinary studies … Favorite food is cornbread dressing … Favorite professional athlete is Joe Johnson and favorite pro team is the Phoenix Suns … Biggest influence in coming to LSU was “being at home and playing in front of my family.”
Top Performances
Points
Season: 33, vs. SE Louisiana, 1/3/09
Career: 38, twice
Rebounds
Season: 11, vs. McNeese, 12/22/08
Career: 13, at Villanova, 12/6/07
Field Goals Made
Season: 13, vs. Troy, 11/30/08
Career: 14, at Auburn, 1/30/08
3 PT FG Made
Season: 6, vs. Florida, 2/24/09
Career: 8, at Auburn, 1/30/08
Free Throws Made
Season: 12, vs. Auburn, 2/21/09
Career; 12, vs. Auburn, 2/21/09
Assists
Season: 5, twice
Career: 5, three times
Blocks
Season: 2, vs. CS Fullerton, 12/2/08
Career: 2, twice
Steals
Season: 7, at Arkansas, 2/18/09
Career: 7, at Arkansas, 2/18/09
Minutes
Season: 40, at Arkansas, 2/18/09
Career: 40, four times
Top Career Scoring Games
1. 38 – At Mississippi State, 3/8/08
1. 38 – At Auburn, 1/30/08
3. 36 – vs. Georgia, 3/2/08
4. 33 – vs. SE Louisiana, 1/3/09
5. 32 – vs. Troy, 11/30/08
5. 32 – vs. Florida, 2/24/09
7. 31 – vs. Miss. State, 1/21/09
8. 30 – vs. Butler (NCAAT), 3/19/09
8. 30 – At Georgia, 2/4/09
8. 30 – vs. Xavier, 1/19/09