South Carolina basketball: Sindarius Thornwell re-signs with Pelicans
By Jacob Elsey
A former South Carolina basketball star has inked deal with NBA team.
Former South Carolina basketball player Sindarius Thornwell has been signed to a minimum contract deal by the New Orleans Pelicans, an organization he played for last year in the NBA Bubble. The news comes via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, who reported the acquisition on Twitter.
Thornwell played a total of 35 minutes for the Pelicans last season, seeing action in the team’s final two games.
For his NBA career, the former Gamecock has spent time with the Los Angeles Clippers, as well as his current organization in New Orleans. Thornwell has appeared in 139 career games, making 18 starts, and averaging 2.6 points a contest. This will be his fourth season, after being drafted in the 2017 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
As a Gamecock, Thornwell earned SEC Player of the Year honors under Frank Martin, leading his squad to a 22-win regular season and an appearance in the Final Four. In that 2017 NCAA Tournament, the forward averaged 23.6 points per game, leading to NCAA All-Region recognition.
He led the SEC in scoring, steals, free throws made, and player efficiency as a senior, and was twice named the the league’s all-defensive team.
After four seasons with the Gamecocks, Thornwell left Columbia as the program’s third leading scorer and all-time leader in minutes played. He ranks among the school’s top ten players in points, field goals, steals, and assists.