After capping an illustrious career by leading a storybook run to the Final Four, Sindarius Thornwell will continue to be honored in Columbia, even years after his final game in garnet and black.
The South Carolina athletic department will be starting a drive to fund the Sindarius Thornwell Scholarship, a team spokeswoman said Monday. The scholarship will be awarded to "a men’s basketball student-athlete who exemplifies the competitive edge and effort that Thornwell put forth during his record-setting career at Carolina," according to a team press release. The scholarship will be the first to be presented in honor of a men's basketball player at South Carolina.
Thornwell, who will likely be selected in the NBA Draft later this month, finished his career as the third-leading scorer in school history with 1,941 points, in addition to ranking in the top 10 in games played (first with 132), free throws made (third with 570), steals (fourth with 199), assists (ninth with 390), and rebounds (10th with 684).
During his senior season, Thornwell was named SEC Player of the Year while averaging over 21 points and seven rebounds for the Gamecocks. In five games during the NCAA Tournament run, which included upsets of Duke and Florida, the Lancaster native scored over 23 points per game.
In an Instagram post, Thornwell wrote the following: "Truly and (sic) honor to have a basketball scholarship named after myself. Thank you to coach frank and the University of South Carolina for everything!!"