Sindarius Thornwell

Wheat Hotchkiss

Two months ago, the casual college basketball fan might not have recognized Dillon Brooks or Sindarius Thornwell.

They were two of the top players in the country — Brooks was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the 2016-17 season, while Thornwell took home the same honor in the SEC — but they were far from household names to fans of other schools and conferences.

In the college game, stars are made in March. That was certainly the case for both Brooks and Thornwell, each of whom steered his team on an expected run to the 2017 Final Four.

Brooks led Oregon to its first Final Four appearance since the inaugural tournament in 1939. Thornwell captained South Carolina on its deepest tournament run in school history.

Life has been very different for both players over the past two months. Brooks and Thornwell were among the five players to take part in a pre-draft workout for the Pacers on Wednesday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and they both acknowledged the changes that come with their newfound celebrity.

"I go from nobody knowing who I am to now everybody knows who I am," Thornwell said. "When people come talk to me, all they talk about is 'How was the Final Four run?' or 'How was it beating Duke?' or something just related to the NCAA Tournament. But it's great."

"Playing (in front of) 75,000 (fans), a lot of people can't say that," Brooks said. "And being around my teammates and doing something at Oregon that (hasn't) been done in so long...It's a blessing and I'll be remembered there for a long time."

Thornwell certainly made the most of his one shining moment. The senior wing led the seventh-seeded Gamecocks on a Cinderella run, knocking off second-seeded Duke, third-seeded Baylor, and fourth-seeded Florida on their way to the Final Four.

Thornwell averaged 25.8 points. 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over South Carolina's first four tournament games and was named Most Outstanding Player in the East Regional.

NBA scouts, of course, don't put too much emphasis on how well a player plays over a couple of weeks in the NCAA Tournament. The Pacers and other teams have been following Thornwell's career closely since he first enrolled in Columbia in 2013.

But Thornwell's play in March wasn't just a flash in the pan. He was a dominant two-way player over his college career, particularly as a senior, when he led the SEC in scoring (21.0 points per game) and steals (2.2 per contest) and ranked sixth in rebounding (7.2 per game).

"It's not like in the NCAA Tournament I just picked up my play," Thornwell said. "I was playing like that all season. It was just a matter of I was on the stage where all eyes were on me and all eyes were on my team. I just took advantage of my opportunity."

While Thornwell's scoring garnered most of the attention during South Carolina's Final Four run, he is also an excellent defender, having honed his skills in coach Frank Martin's defensive-minded system. The 22-year-old believes that his defensive prowess could be his ticket to an NBA roster spot.

"I do everything, but I love to play defense," Thornwell said.

"Being around Coach (Martin), you start wanting to guard and liking it and loving it. Over my time at South Carolina, I started to embrace guarding and locking down offensive players. I think that's going to be my way of getting on the court."

Despite his accomplished college career, Thornwell is projected as a likely second round pick. NBADraft.net has him going 38th overall, while DraftExpress.com's latest mock draft has him as the 57th player to hear his name called. The Pacers' second round pick is right in the middle of those two projections at 47.

The main knocks on Thornwell are his age (he will turn 23 in November) and his size (he measured a quarter-inch under 6-5 in shoes at last week's NBA Draft Combine). And though he demonstrated improvement from behind the 3-point arc in college, improving his 3-point percentage from .268 as a sophomore to .392 as a senior, there are also questions about if he can maintain that improved stroke from behind the longer 3-point line in the NBA.

While he's well aware of those criticisms, Thornwell has a convincing pitch for why teams should draft him.

"I'm ready to play right away," he said. "I'm not a young guard or an 18-year-old that you're going to have to throw in the D-League...I think I'm ready to come in off the bench and gives guys breaks and guard teams' best wings and make it tough for them."

While Thornwell spent four years in college, Brooks elected to turn pro after a standout junior season. He actually entered his name in the draft after his sophomore season, taking part in the combine and a handful of team workouts before choosing to return to Oregon for one more year.

Brooks said on Wednesday that he learned a lot from getting those evaluations from NBA teams last spring. The honest feedback from scouts helped him focus on the areas where he most needed to improve.

For instance, several teams told Brooks that he needed to become a better outside shooter if he wanted to succeed at the NBA level. He responded by improving his 3-point percentage from .338 as a sophomore to .401 as a junior.

Going through the pre-draft process for the second time, Brooks' confidence is much higher this time around.

"That's why I'm playing so well in these workouts right now, because I've been through it before," Brooks said. "It's about picking and choosing your spots and being ready to make quick decisions when you catch the ball because guys at the next level are faster, stronger, and more athletic."

On an Oregon roster loaded with talent, Brooks was the team's leading scorer at 16.1 points per game. He improved on his season averages over the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists as the Ducks knocked off overall top seed Kansas to reach the Final Four.

Like Thornwell, Brooks is seen as a likely second round pick. Both NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com have him coming off the board just before the Pacers pick at 47, projecting him as the 45th and 46th pick, respectively.

That's not too far off from where the Pacers picked Joe Young two seasons ago. Young was named Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior in 2015 — Brooks' freshman season at Oregon — before Indiana took him with the 40th overall selection.

Young took Brooks under his wing in their lone season as teammates in Eugene, mentoring the young wing. After Young left, Brooks assumed the mantle as the Ducks' top offensive option and won his own Pac-12 Player of the Year award in 2017. Brooks said the biggest lesson he took away from watching Young was the importance of a strong work ethic.

"He taught me to work, work, work all the time," Brooks said.

Prior to Wednesday's workout, Brooks talked to both Young and former Pacers guard Fred Jones, who was among the observers at the TCU Practice Court on Wednesday. Both of them offered encouragement and gave Brooks insight into what he could expect from the franchise, should he be the next Oregon player drafted by Indiana.

Pony Up: SMU Teammates Moore and Ojeleye Reunite for Pacers Workout

Draft workouts can be a strange experience for prospects, sharing the floor with players they have either never met or known exclusively as opponents.

But Ben Moore and Semi Ojeleye were able to find a familiar face on Wednesday. Moore and Ojeleye were two of the stars on an SMU team that put together one of the best seasons in program history.

The Mustangs went 30-5, capturing the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. Remarkably, SMU lost just one game from Dec. 1 - March 16 thanks in large part to the play of both Ojeleye, who led the team in scoring and was second in rebounding, and Moore, the team's leader in rebounds and blocked shots.

On Wednesday, the two teammates were reunited in Indianapolis. Ojeleye attended last week's combine and Moore took part in last month's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for many of the top seniors in the country, but Wednesday was the first time that they took part in the same pre-draft workout.

"It made it a little bit more comfortable, a little more like home," Ojeleye said.

"It's definitely good seeing my teammates do well, so I'm always for that," Moore added.

Ojeleye originally signed with Duke out of high school, part of the same recruiting class as Jabari Parker and Matt Jones. He struggled to earn playing time for coach Mike Krzyzewski, amassing a total of 80 minutes as a freshman and appearing in just six games for the Blue Devils as a sophomore before he elected to transfer.

After enrolling at SMU in January 2015, Ojeleye would not have been eligible to play for the Mustangs until the second half of the 2015-16 season. Because the Mustangs were barred from postseason play that year for violations that occurred under the watch of former coach Larry Brown, coach Tim Jankovich convinced Ojeleye to sit out that season as well.

The result was that he did not play an official game for over a year and a half, but Ojeleye valued the time he spent away from the game.

"You just learn to find out who you really are off the court," Ojeleye said. "We associate ourself as athletes since we're little. But without basketball, I kind of had to find myself off the court, build off-the-court relationships, and then that helped me when I got back on."

Finally back in action last season, Ojeleye showed little sign of rust. He was a dominant force for the Mustangs, averaging 19.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from 3-point range, and was voted AAC Player of the Year.

At 6-7 and 240 pounds with just 5.5 percent body fat, Ojeleye is one of the best athletes this year's draft class. He wowed scouts at the combine, where he recorded a 40.5-inch vertical and recorded times of 10.58 seconds in the lane agility drill and 3.16 seconds in the 3/4 court sprint, placing among the top eight players or better in each of those categories.

At SMU, the Mustangs utilized Ojeleye primarily at the power forward position, allowing him to post up smaller defenders or use his speed and shooting to his advantage against bigger players.

Ojeleye said on Wednesday he feels comfortable playing on the wing or as a small-ball power forward at the next level. His athleticism should allow him to keep up with wings on the perimeter or bang with big men in the post.

"I think it's an advantage for me because coaches can put me out there and let me play with first team, second team, whoever's out there and I can just find my way," Ojeleye said.

Though it took a while for his college career to take off, Ojeleye could still hear his name called in the first round on draft night. DraftExpress.com currently projects him as the 38th pick and he is the type of player that should help his chances in both workouts and interviews.

"For me, I try to offer maturity," Ojeleye said. "I think what I've been through — going to Duke, transferring, having to find myself — it's helped me just know who I am. No matter what happens, I'm going to fight through it because when you get to the NBA, there's going to be highs and lows."

Moore is a talented player in his own right. On an SMU team loaded with scorers on the perimeter, Moore played a specific role doing dirty work on the interior. He performed his role well, averaging 11.4 points on 56 percent shooting and 7.8 rebounds per game as a senior.

Just 6-8 and 220 pounds, Moore is probably a bit undersized for an NBA post player, but he does have the athleticism that could allow him to find success in a league that is putting more and more emphasis on pace.

For a big man, Moore is a deft passer. He averaged 2.4 assists per game as a senior and dished out 10 assists in three games in Portsmouth.

Moore is working to expand his game (he attempted just five 3-pointers in college but hoisted a number of shots from beyond the arc in shooting drills at the end of Wednesday's workout), but also knows the value of playing a specific role.

"I just want to show a lot of energy," Moore said. "I want to show that I can be a hustle guy, offensive rebound, play defense, be versatile."

Despite Decorated Career, Young Still Out to Prove Himself

Michael Young had an outstanding senior season at Pittsburgh. The 6-8 forward led the ACC in scoring at 19.6 points per game while also accumulating 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest.

But the Panthers struggled as a team, going just 4-14 in ACC play and Young did not receive an invite to participate in the combine.

It's highly unusual for the leading scorer in a conference like the ACC not to receive an invite to the draft's top scouting showcase, but Young said he will use the snub as extra motivation.

"I've always had a chip on my shoulder," he said on Wednesday.

"I didn't really expect to get invited to the combine with the year that we had...but that's just more fuel to the fire."

Young scored 1,601 points in his four seasons in college. He played primarily in the post at Pitt, but thinks that he could succeed at either small or power forward at the next level.

"I'm versatile on both ends of the floor," Young said. "On offense, I can play multiple positions. On defense, I can guard multiple positions. And I'm going to play really, really hard for the duration that I'm out (on the court)."

One thing that could help Young's chances of catching on with an NBA team is if he continues to develop his outside shot. After attempting just 12 3-pointers as a junior, Young attempted 123 threes during his senior season, shooting at a respectable 34.1-percent clip from beyond the arc. With solid mechanics and footwork, Young appears to have the tools to make his outside shot a consistent weapon at the professional level.

Florida State guard Dwayne Bacon was scheduled to take part in Wednesday's workout, but did not participate due to illness. Bacon averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore before declaring for the draft this spring.

brooks-thornwell-hoping-to-build-on-final-four-runs

Brooks, Thornwell Hoping to Build on Final Four Runs

indgrapp08

pacers-hosting-second-pre-draft-workout-on-wednesday

Pacers Hosting Second Pre-Draft Workout on Wednesday

admin

Height: 6-5
Weight: 212
Position: SG
College: South Carolina
Age: 22

PPG: 21.4
RPG: 7.1
APG: 2.9
BLK: 1.0
STL: 2.1

Player BioCourtesy of South Carolina Athletics

2016-17 (SENIOR)
Preseason All-SEC First Team (Coaches)...Nov. 28 SEC Player of the Week...Feb. 13 SEC Player of the Week...2017 SEC Player of the Year (Coaches)...(Postseason) First Team All-SEC (Coaches)...(Postseason) All-Defensive Team (Coaches)...(Postseason) Unanimous First Team All-SEC (AP)...USBWA All-District III...Basketball Times Third Team All-American...2017 East Regional Most Outstanding Player...First Team All-American (CBSSports.com)...Averaged career highs in nearly every statistical category, including points (21.4), rebounds (7.1) and steals (2.1) per game, along with field goal percent (44.4) and free throw percent (83.0) during senior season...Named the SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches, led the league in scoring in conference games at 22.1 points per game; also named All-SEC First Team and to the All-Defensive Team by the coaches...Following postseason play, averaged an SEC high 21.4 points and 2.1 steals per game...He concluded his career in the Garnet and Black third in scoring with 1,941 points, first in games started (132), tied for fourth in games played (132), third in free throws (570), fourth in steals (199) and ninth in assists (390)...66 steals during senior season rank tied for seventh all-time in Carolina history for a single season...Led all scorers after logging 34 points (9-of-23) in loss at No. 5/5 Kentucky (Jan. 21), went 14-for-15 at free throw line and had six rebounds...Set career-highs for points (44), rebounds (21) and minutes (56) in four OT loss vs. Alabama (Feb. 7), the 40-point outing was the first for a Gamecock since 1986, his 21 rebounds were the first 20-plus rebound game for a Carolina player since 1993, his 25 made free throws and 33 attempts were school single-game records, they were both SEC records for league games as well...In five NCAA Tournament contests, he helped fuel Carolina's Final Four run, averaging 23.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while collecting East Region Most Outstanding Player honors along the way...He led or shared the team lead in scoring 22 times, in assists 12 times, in steals 20 times, and he posted 31 double-figure scoring games and 19 20-point outings in 2016-17

2015-16 (JUNIOR)
SEC All-Defensive Team...SEC Academic Honor Roll...Started all 34 games of the season, averaging 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.1 minutes per game...In SEC games, averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.2 minutes per game...Posted 24 double-figure scoring games, three double-figure rebounding games, three double-doubles and 20 games with at least three assists...Led or shared the team lead in scoring 11 times, in assists a team high 18 times, in steals a team high 15 times and in rebounds eight times...Ranked sixth in the SEC in both steals per game (1.5) and minutes per game (33.1) in overall games...Began the season with five-straight double-figure scoring games, including 16 points in the Paradise Jam championship game vs. Tulsa (Nov. 23), en route to Tournament MVP honors; also collected five steals vs. Tulsa...Also collected first double-double of the season at the Paradise Jam with 10 points and 10 rebounds in win vs. DePaul (Nov. 20)...Tallied 15 points in home win vs. USF (Dec. 2)...Scored eight points with nine rebounds in road win at Clemson (Dec. 18)...First half dunk vs. Clemson was ESPN Sportscenter's No. 1 play of the day...Scored a team high 18 points in home win vs. Memphis (Jan. 2), a win that pushed Carolina's non-conference record to 13-0 entering league play...Posted first 20-point game of the season with team high 22 points in SEC opening road win at Auburn (Jan. 5); also dished seven assists with three steals vs. the Tigers...Five 3-point field goals at Auburn marked a new career high...Followed with 19 points in home win vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 9), also pulling down eight rebounds...Collected 1,000th career point in win vs. the Commodores...Tallied 22 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals in home win vs. Missouri (Jan. 16)...Second double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in road contest at Georgia (Feb. 2)...Led the team with 25 points, six rebounds, a career high nine assists and three steals in upset win at No. 8 Texas A&M (Feb. 6)...Followed with 24 points, including a career high 11-of-14 from the free throw line, with six rebounds and five assists in home win against LSU...Tallied 17 points in home win vs. Florida (Feb. 20), helping to snap a five-year Gamecock winless streak against the Gators...Collected third double-double of the season in huge road win at Arkansas (March 5) to conclude the regular season, scoring a team high 22 points, to go along with a team best 11 rebounds, with six assists
11 rebounds vs. the Razorbacks matched a career high...Scored 23 points in SEC Tournament loss vs. Georgia (March 11)...20 points with seven assists and two steals in NIT victory over High Point (March 15)

2014-15 (SOPHOMORE)
Jan. 5 SEC Player of the Week...SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll...Started all 33 games of the season, averaging 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a team high 1.3 steals in 30.6 minutes per game...In SEC games, averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes per game...Posted a team high 23 double-figure scoring games, one double-double, 17 games with at least five rebounds and 12 games with at least three assists...Led or shared the team lead in scoring a team-high 10 times, in rebounding six times, in assists seven times and in steals 12 times...Ranked 10th in the SEC in steals per game (1.3)...Collected three or more steals three times...Tallied 16 points, adding four assists and two steals in ESPN...College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon game vs. Baylor (Nov. 18)...Began a string of seven-straight double-figure scoring games vs. the Bears...Scored 20 points vs. Charlotte (Nov. 21) in Charleston Classic matchup vs. the 49ers, also collected eight rebounds...Set career high with six steals in win vs. UNC Asheville (Nov. 26), which tied for the highest single-game total in a game during the season in the SEC...Tallied double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in victory at Marshall (Dec. 1)...Scored 13 points, providing a trio of plays in the final two minutes to help secure upset win over No. 9/9 Iowa State (Jan. 3) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y....In the final 1:51 of the matchup vs. the Cyclones, hit a 3-point play, gave the team a six-point lead by hitting a lay-up in the final seconds of the shot clock and made a steal and hit a free throw to secure the win after Iowa State pulled within one possession...Tallied 17 points vs. Tennessee (Jan. 20), playing 37 minutes...Scored 14 points in victory vs. Missouri (Feb. 10), hitting a pair of 3s in the win...Posted second 20-point game of the season at top-ranked Kentucky (Feb. 14), hitting a season high nine free throws...Posted double-figures in the last five games of the season, starting with 10 points in home matchup vs. Arkansas (March 5)...Tallied 10 points and collected two steals in road win at Tennessee (March 7)...Led team with 18 points in SEC Tournament victory vs. Missouri (March 11)...Collected seven rebounds in Tournament win vs. Ole Miss (March 12)

2013-14 (FRESHMAN)
SEC All-Freshman Team...Jan. 13, Feb. 17 and March 10 SEC Freshman of the Week...Feb. 18 Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week...SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll...Started all 34 games of his rookie campaign...Averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.6 minutes per game...13.4 points per game ranked second among freshmen in the SEC in overall games, while 1.2 steals per game ranked second and 3.0 assists per game ranked third...In SEC games, averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes per game...Points (15.6) and assists (4.0) per game in strictly league games led the conference among freshmen...Six 20-point games in league play is the most by a freshman in South Carolina history...Posted 22 double-figure scoring games, which included seven 20-point games, also posted 20 games with at least three assists, nine games with at least five rebounds and two double-doubles...Led or shared the team lead in scoring 12 times, in rebounding four times, in assists 17 times and in steals 10 times...Marked nearly every stat column with 14 points, all in the second half, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in college debut vs. Longwood (Nov. 9)...Scored first 20-point game of his career at No. 23 Baylor (Nov. 12), posting 20 on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and a 7-of-10 effort from the free throw line; also collected a team high three steals vs. the Bears...Played a then-season high 36 minutes vs. Manhattan (Dec. 17), scoring a team high 17 points, hitting 10-of-13 attempts from the free throw line...Posted 19 points, hitting three 3s, while dishing three assists vs. USC Upstate (Dec. 19) Went 2-of-2 beyond the arc as he posted 10 points go with four rebounds and a season high three steals at No. 10 Florida (Jan. 8)...Posted 25 points on career-best nine field goals vs. LSU (Jan. 11), as he also went 6-of-9 from the foul line to go with five rebounds and two assists...Posted first career double-double vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 18) with 24 points and a season high 11 rebounds...Also had season best four 3-point field goals in 37 minutes against the Rebels...Scored a career high 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including nine made free throws, at Georgia (Jan. 22)...Recorded 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including an 8-for-8 effort from the foul line in home win vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 29)...Posted 20 points, five rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes at Ole Miss (Feb. 1)...Dished a season-high nine assists vs. Auburn (Feb. 5)...Scored 15 points and added four assists and matched season high with four steals at Tennessee (Feb. 8) ...Scored 19 points and added six rebounds and six assists in win vs. Vanderbilt (Feb. 13)...Recorded team-high 22 points to go with four rebounds and four assists vs. Alabama (Feb. 15)...Also went 9-of-10 from the foul line against the Crimson Tide, including made free throw with 5.8 seconds on the clock which extended the Gamecock lead to four points...Matched season high with 10 made free throws vs. Georgia (Feb. 22)...Had 14 points to go with four assists in win vs. No. 17 Kentucky (March 1)...Recorded second double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists at Mississippi State (March 8)

PRE-SOUTH CAROLINA
Helped lead Oak Hill Academy to 33-5 record during senior season...A four-star prospect according to ESPN.com and the top rated player in the state of South Carolina...Rated the No. 39 overall prospect in the 2013 class by ESPN.com...A four-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247sports.com...Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 43 overall prospect and No. 11 shooting guard

PERSONAL
Son of Greg Wade and Sharicka Thornwell...Has one brother, Quantavious and one sister, Quasheka...If he could spend a day with anyone, present or historical, it would be his great grandmother...Competed with the USA East Coast basketball team in Estonia during the summer of 2014...His best advice to young people is to "take your school work serious" and the best advice he has ever received is "take advantage of every opportunity"...Major is Sociology

Sindarius Thornwell

Brooks, Thornwell Hoping to Build on Final Four Runs

Pacers Hosting Second Pre-Draft Workout on Wednesday

Sindarius Thornwell: 2017 Draft Prospect