Fox Nabs Westlake Standout Thornton

For all the progress made by Mark Fox in his first year-plus on the job, Wednesday's announcement by Westlake forward Marcus Thornton might have been one of the biggest steps forward.

Thornton, one of the state's premier prospects, announced his commitment to Georgia at his high school Wednesday, snubbing Georgia Tech, Alabama and Texas.

"In the end, I liked the opportunity I had at Georgia, how I could be a big piece of something," Thornton said. "I felt in my heart that's what I wanted to do."

Thornton was originally committed to Clemson, but changed his mind after coach Oliver Purnell left for DePaul.

At Westlake, Thornton averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior, and he expects to play small forward at Georgia.

"They're looking for me to play a combo forward," Thornton said, "but I'll probably primarily be playing small forward."

Thornton is easily the most high-profile prospect signed by Fox since his arrival last April, and Fox's ability to snag the in-state standout so late in the game was indicative of the immense groundwork the coach has laid in the past season.

Thornton was rated as a three-star prospect by Scout and the No. 34 forward nationally. He will fit in the lineup alongside forward Trey Thompkins, an All-SEC performer last season in the frontcourt, and help complement an increasingly impressive backcourt that features Travis Leslie, Dustin Ware and Gerald Robinson.