Thornton to join Towson

The 6-foot-2 sophomore will enroll in classes at Towson in late January, planning to focus on mass communications and advertising, and should join the Tigers in December 2007.

The main reason for Thornton?s decision was simple.

“Excellent coach,” Thornton said of Towson coach Pat Kennedy. “He?s been coaching for years now, and he?s put a lot of guards in the NBA and that was one of the biggest things I was looking at when I went to transfer.”

Thornton is a combo guard who set school scoring and three-point shooting records at Caesar Rodney High in Camden, Del. After he averaged 25.2 points and six assists per game as a senior, Thornton chose Georgetown from among a slew of suitors. But Georgetown?s Princeton-style, low-post offense did not fit the speedy Thornton.

“I?m more of an up-tempo, combo guard ? and I want to show all my talents, and I think I can do that in Coach Kennedy?s system,” Thornton said.

Thornton?s high school coach, Tiff McCullough, said Towson is getting a “steal.”

“I think it?s a great move,” McCullough said. “It?s kind of a big-fish-in-a-small-pond theory. I think he?ll do well there. He?ll light that league up.”

Thornton didn?t get that chance at Georgetown, where he played just six games as a freshman. He decided to transfer prior to the season opener this fall.

“He?s a combo guard and he?s the best shooter that I?ve ever seen, especially at the high-school level,” said McCullough, who started Thornton as a freshman. “Once he gets the chance in college, I?m sure it?ll carry over.”

McCullough sees similarities between Thornton and Neal, the Tigers? leading scorer at 22.2 points per game.

“I would loved to have had the opportunity to play with Gary,” Thornton said. “He?s a great player, and hopefully he?s going places.”

Neal currently averages 22.2 points per game ? or 33.6 percent of the Tigers? offense ? and has drawn interest from a number of NBA teams.

Towson plays Georgetown at Verizon Center Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.