Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 5 — Firepower Kings, Saville heads to Sydney and The “Resurrection Squad”
December 24, 2025
Marcus Thornton
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth:
- Place of Birth: Upper Marlboro, Maryland (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 86
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Kilgore College (2005-07) / Louisiana State (2007-09)
- AGE AT DEBUT: 0
- NBL History: Sydney 2016
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Marcus Thornton was born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Marcus Thornton made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings on 30/12/1899. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
Sydney entered the 2015/16 season still searching for its first winning record since returning to the NBL, having finished seventh at 9-19 the previous year after a season-ending injury to Josh Childress derailed its campaign. Damian Cotter returned as head coach, while Ben Madgen (to Verviers-Pepinster), Cody Ellis (to Illawarra), Kevin White (to Illawarra), Kendrick Perry (free agent), Josh Duinker (to Körmend) and Daniel Joyce (free agent) departed. Childress re-signed and the returning core included Jason Cadee, captain Tom Garlepp and reigning Rookie of the Year Angus Brandt, with Julian Khazzouh (via Sagesse), Steven Markovic (via Townsville), Rhys Carter (via New Zealand), Jeromie Hill (via UTSA) and Dion Prewster (via Wellington) added.
Marcus Thornton signed a one-year deal with Sydney on July 22 after Boston selected him with the 45th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, with the Celtics retaining his NBA rights while he developed overseas. He arrived after averaging 20 points during his senior year at William & Mary and finishing as the school’s all-time leading scorer, with Cotter describing the signing as “a great acquisition for this club.”
Sydney opened the season against Cairns at Qantas Credit Union Arena on October 10, where the new Celtics draftee (9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) started in his NBL debut as the Kings defeated the Taipans 87-63, with Khazzouh (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks) and Cadee (19 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) leading Sydney, while Mark Worthington (13 points) was Cairns’ leading scorer.
Thornton (12.8 points across 28 games) played in all 28 games and started 26, with no injury or illness causing him to miss a game. He made 121-of-321 field goals, 39-of-139 three-pointers and 76-of-88 free throws, shooting 37.7 percent from the field, 28.1 percent from three and 86.4 percent at the line. Expectations were high after arriving as a Celtics draft pick, but his first professional season proved uneven, with strong scoring performances mixed with stretches where his shooting and overall impact dropped away. He came from the bench only twice, against Cairns on January 2 and Illawarra on January 9.
Sydney added Jayden Hodgson (0 points across 6 games) (via Centre of Excellence) as a development player on October 15 after he had spent time training with the Kings during the school holidays, with the arrangement allowing him to retain his amateur status for a possible move to college. Childress (21 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks across 13 games) missed the opening four games with a foot injury before returning against Adelaide on October 23 and breaking his right hand. Al Harrington (17.7 points and 6.8 rebounds across 6 games) (via Fujian) came out of retirement as his short-term injury replacement after Childress contacted his former Atlanta Hawks teammate. “He was the first person I reached out to when the team spoke of an injury replacement,” Childress said. Harrington’s six-game stint ended when Childress returned in late November.
Thornton’s best game of the season came against undefeated Melbourne on November 1, where he made 13-of-23 field goals and finished with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, but Sydney fell 96-82. Khazzouh (12 points and 4 rebounds) and Cadee (11 points and 7 rebounds) provided the next best scoring efforts for Sydney, while Chris Goulding (25 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Melbourne to its fifth consecutive win.
Thornton (18 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists) attracted national attention during Sydney’s November 25 game in Wollongong, where Childress (20 points and 15 rebounds) and Garlepp (17 points) also contributed, but Kirk Penney (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) led Illawarra to a 96-90 victory. Midway through the third quarter, Thornton drove to the basket, fell to the floor and slid towards a courtside corporate box, where an 83-year-old Hawks supporter leaned over and tipped beer over his head. The fan was immediately ejected and did not attend another NBL game that season, while the nationally televised footage created a social media frenzy and was picked up by media in the United States. Thornton remained composed throughout the incident and his handling of the situation was widely praised, while Cotter called the spectator’s actions “dropkick behaviour.”
The loss left Sydney at 3-9 and Cotter was released from his coaching duties on November 28, with former Washington Wizards assistant Joe Connelly appointed interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Childress then fractured his left hand in his second game back from the earlier injury, leading Sydney to sign Damion James (7 points and 7.8 rebounds across 5 games) (via Le Mans) as another injury replacement. James played five games before being taken off the roster when Childress was reactivated on December 29.
Khazzouh (13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 17 games) then ruptured his right quadriceps tendon in December and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Assistant coach Ben Knight (0.5 points across 4 games) (via North Sydney) came out of retirement as emergency frontcourt cover before Jordan Vandenberg (3.1 points across 8 games) (via Westchester) was signed on January 7 as Khazzouh’s injury replacement for the remainder of the season. Craig Moller (training squad) trialled alongside Vandenberg for the position, with Vandenberg receiving the active roster spot and Moller remaining with Sydney as a full-time training player. Markovic (3 points across 7 games) underwent surgery to remove his tonsils in December and, with Sydney believing he would struggle to regain full fitness before the season ended, Indiana Faithfull (2.6 points across 7 games) (via West Liberty) was signed as his replacement.
Thornton (7 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) came from the bench against Illawarra on January 9 as his difficult mid-season stretch continued, with Garlepp (18 points) and Childress (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) leading Sydney while Penney (29 points, 5 assists, and 1 steal) powered the Hawks to a 114-90 win. Connelly wanted more from Thornton beyond scoring, saying, “I think he needs to work on doing other things beside scoring.” His production dropped to single figures in six of nine games between December 27 and January 29 before he regained some scoring form during the final weeks.
Sydney’s injury problems continued when Hill (4.1 points and 3 rebounds across 23 games) tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee during practice before the February 5 game against Perth and missed the final three games. Unlike Childress, Khazzouh, Markovic and Hill, Thornton remained available throughout the injury-ravaged campaign and played the entire 28-game schedule.
Cadee (14 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 28 games) developed into Sydney’s leading full-season scorer, while Garlepp (13.9 points and 4.2 rebounds across 27 games) produced the highest-scoring season of his career and was named the Kings’ Club Most Valuable Player. Brandt (8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 28 games), Carter (5.6 points across 28 games) and Prewster (3.5 points across 28 games) provided the other major contributions. Cadee received the Members’ Most Valuable Player and Community awards, Brandt received the Mike Wrublewski Most Inspirational Player award, Prewster was named Defensive Player of the Year and Knight received the Laurie Watterson Clubman of the Year award.
Sydney finished its season in Townsville on February 13, where Thornton (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) helped the Kings force overtime alongside Cadee (32 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal) and Childress (31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks), while Omar Samhan (25 points and 13 rebounds) led the Crocodiles. The scores were tied 109-109 after regulation before Townsville defeated Sydney 126-123 in overtime, leaving the Kings last with a 6-22 record.
Marcus Thornton played one season in the NBL. He averaged 12.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 28 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 0 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 28 | 817 | 357 | 70 | 55 | 11 | 59 | 16 | 1 | 49 | 46 | 121 | 321 | 38% | 39 | 139 | 28% | 82 | 182 | 45% | 44% | 44% | 29 | Totals | 28 | 817 | 357 | 70 | 55 | 11 | 59 | 16 | 1 | 49 | 46 | 121 | 321 | 37.7% | 39 | 139 | 28.1% | 82 | 182 | 45.1% | 29 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 0 | Sydney | 6-22 (8) | 28 | 29.2 | 12.8 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 11.5 | 38% | 1.4 | 5.0 | 28% | 2.9 | 6.5 | 45% | 44% | 44% | 29 | Total | 28 | 29.2 | 12.8 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 37.7% | 28.1% | 45.1% | 29 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 29 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- China - Guangxi Rhinos (2017) | France - Élan Chalon (2019–2020) | Germany - Niners Chemnitz (2020–2021), Medi Bayreuth (2021–2022) | Greece - Lavrio (2023–2024, 2025) | Italy - Consultinvest Pesaro (2016–2017), Fortitudo Bologna (2022–2023) | Mexico - Astros de Jalisco (2024) | Portugal - Benfica (2024–2025) | Romania - FC Arges Pitesti (2025–2026) | South Korea - Seoul SK Knights (2018–2019) | Turkey - Banvit (2018–2019)
After the 2015–16 season, Marcus Thornton moved to Italy and signed with Consultinvest Pesaro on July 30, 2016, joining a roster that also included Rotnei Clarke.
Thornton played the 2016–17 season in Italy’s Serie A, where he appeared in 30 league games and averaged 13.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 43.7% from the field, 36.3% from three-point range and 80.1% at the free-throw line.
In China, he signed with the Guangxi Rhinos on July 27, 2017 for the remainder of the season in the National Basketball League, a second-tier competition beneath the CBA.
During the 2018–19 season, Thornton had stints in both Turkey and South Korea, including appearances for Banvit in the Turkish league and Basketball Champions League and a run of games with the Seoul SK Knights in the Korean Basketball League.
Thornton moved to France on July 4, 2019 when he signed with Élan Chalon in LNB Pro A, and he played 23 games while averaging 10.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
He signed with Germany’s Niners Chemnitz on July 28, 2020 and produced a team-high 13.9 points and 4.2 assists per game across 33 Basketball Bundesliga games in 2020–21, before continuing in Germany after joining Medi Bayreuth on June 28, 2021.
Thornton returned to Italy for the 2022–23 campaign with Fortitudo Bologna, competing in the country’s second division, before signing with Greek club Lavrio on August 14, 2023 and averaging 11.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game across 27 Greek Basket League appearances.
In May 2024, he signed with the Astros de Jalisco in Mexico’s CIBACOPA, then moved to Portugal on September 3, 2024 to begin the 2024–25 season with Benfica, including a 17-point performance against Fribourg Olympic in Basketball Champions League qualification on September 21, 2024.
In February 2025 he returned to Lavrio for the remainder of the season, and on July 22, 2025 he agreed terms with FC Arges Pitesti in Romania’s Liga Nationala.
COLLEGE
Thornton played college basketball at Kilgore College, As a freshman he averaged 14.5 points per game and shot 65 percent from the field in the 2005-06 junior college season before erupting for 26.9 points per game in 2006-07, earning first-team NJCAA All-American honors, Region XIV MVP recognition, and the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association Classic MVP award after scoring 19 points for the Texas All-Stars against the National All-Stars.
He completed two seasons at Kilgore College and graduated in the summer of 2007 before transferring to Louisiana State University.
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At LSU he wore No. 5, played guard, and joined the Tigers for the 2007-08 season as a junior on a team that finished 13-18 overall and 6-10 in the SEC, placing fourth in the SEC West while changing coaches during the year from John Brady to interim head coach Butch Pierre.
In 2007-08 he played 31 games and made 30 starts, averaging 33.6 minutes, 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 2.2 turnovers per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three, and 81.7 percent at the free throw line.
His 2007-08 season totals were 1,043 minutes, 608 points, 174 rebounds, 42 assists, 43 steals, 10 blocks, 68 turnovers, 62 personal fouls, 212 field goals made on 486 attempts, 90 three-pointers on 239 attempts, and 94 free throws on 115 attempts.
Thornton ranked second in the SEC in scoring in 2007-08, ranked third in the league in free throw percentage, and led SEC play in scoring at 21.6 points per game.
His junior season included 27 games in double figures, 17 games of 20 points or more, four double-doubles, and 13 games without a missed free throw.
He opened his LSU career with 27 points against Southeastern Louisiana, scored 24 against Nicholls State, hit a tying three to force overtime against Arizona State at the Maui Invitational while finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds, posted 15 points and 13 rebounds at Villanova, and added 12 points and 11 rebounds at Wichita State.
Thornton produced one of the signature games of LSU’s season on January 30, 2008 when he scored 38 points at Auburn, hit eight three-pointers, and buried the game-winning three with 3.8 seconds left in an 81-80 win that gave LSU its first SEC victory of the season.
He matched that 38-point high in the regular-season finale at Mississippi State with 13 field goals and six three-pointers, and he also scored 36 points with 10 rebounds against Georgia on March 2, 2008.
His 90 made threes in 2007-08 were the second-most in an LSU season at the time, and his only non-start of his LSU career came at Arkansas on February 20, 2008 when he played four minutes because of a hip flexor issue.
LSU did not reach the NCAA Tournament or NIT that season and closed the year with a 77-73 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.
Thornton returned in 2008-09 for his senior season under first-year head coach Trent Johnson and helped LSU surge to a 27-8 overall record and a 13-3 SEC mark, good for first in the SEC West, the SEC regular-season championship, a final No. 21 AP ranking, and an NCAA Tournament berth.
In 2008-09 he played 35 games and started 34, averaging 32.0 minutes, 21.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three, and 74.5 percent at the foul line.
His senior season totals were 1,120 minutes, 739 points, 192 rebounds, 75 assists, 56 steals, 13 blocks, 64 turnovers, 72 personal fouls, 256 field goals made on 542 attempts, 78 three-pointers on 201 attempts, and 149 free throws on 200 attempts.
Thornton was the consensus SEC Player of the Year in 2008-09, made first-team All-SEC, was the USBWA District VII Player of the Year, earned NABC first-team all-district honours, made the Wooden Award national ballot, was named Louisiana Player of the Year, and finished the season as the first LSU player since Ronnie Henderson in 1996 to average more than 20 points per game.
He scored in double figures in his final 19 games of the season and finished his LSU career with 37 games of 20 points or more, 10 games of 30 points or more, and six double-doubles.
His best senior performances included 32 points against Troy, 24 against Cal State Fullerton, 31 against Mississippi State on January 21, 2009, 30 against Xavier on January 24, 2009, 23 at Kentucky on February 28 after scoring 19 in the second half of the comeback that secured the outright SEC title, 32 against Florida on February 24, and 25 against Auburn in the win that clinched the SEC West top seed.
In the NCAA Tournament he scored 30 points with four assists and three steals in LSU’s 75-71 first-round win over Butler, then had 25 points with five three-pointers in the second-round loss to North Carolina.
LSU’s SEC Tournament run ended in the semifinals with a 67-57 loss to Mississippi State, but Thornton still finished the year with the eighth-highest single-season point total in school history and the seventh-most made three-pointers in a season.
His Sports Reference LSU record shows two Division I seasons, with 2007-08 at 31 games, 30 starts, 33.6 minutes, 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 43.6 percent shooting, 37.7 percent from three, and 81.7 percent at the line for a 13-18 team, followed by 2008-09 at 35 games, 34 starts, 32.0 minutes, 21.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 47.2 percent shooting, 38.8 percent from three, and 74.5 percent at the line for a 27-8 team.
His LSU Division I career totals were 66 games, 64 starts, 2,163 minutes, 1,347 points, 366 rebounds, 117 assists, 99 steals, 23 blocks, and 132 turnovers while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three, and 77.1 percent from the free throw line, which translated to career averages of 32.8 minutes, 20.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
Thornton finished his LSU career ranked 21st in school history in scoring with 1,347 points, sixth in career scoring average at 20.4 points per game, and eighth in career three-pointers made with 168, while his 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons established him as one of the most productive two-year scorers in program history.
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