Marcus Thornton: NBA Draft Profile

College: LSU

Class: Senior

Position: SG

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 205lbs

Accolades: Honorable Mention All-American - CHN (09), Honorable Mention All-American - AP (09), SEC Player of the Year (09), First Team All-SEC (09), Second Team All-SEC (08), First Team All-American - JuCo (07).

Scouting Report: A scoring machine.

Strengths: Big time scorer. Capable of explosive scoring outbursts - had 10 games of 30-plus points in his two seasons at LSU. Three-point range on his jumper. Efficient shooter his senior season. Quick release and good elevation on his jumper. Can hit tough shots over defenders. Good at drawing fouls and knocking down free throws. Good rebounder for his position, especially offensively. Solid build. Can post up smaller defenders. Moves well without the ball. Good at getting out on the break and finishing. Quick hands on defense.

Weaknesses: Undersized for an NBA 2-guard. Only played two years in NCAA D1 (spent first two seasons in JuCo). Takes a lot of shots. Not much of a passer/assist man. May have trouble scoring on big, quick NBA defenders.

Projected 2009 Draft Range: Late first round to early second round pick.

Consensus: It’s very easy to picture Marcus Thornton having a long NBA career as an instant offense bench player. His strong play in the NCAA tournament this year has him headed into the draft on a high note and he may sneak into the first round.