Suspended South Carolina Guard Thornwell Arrested in May

By PETE IACOBELLI

(AP) — Suspended South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell was arrested for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license last May, according to an incident report from the Cayce Department of Public Safety.

Thornwell was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center and paid a fine, according to the department.

Thornwell, the Gamecocks’ leading scorer and rebounder over their first six games, was suspended indefinitely by coach Frank Martin on Dec. 4 for violating athletic department policy. Martin has said he will not detail Thornwell’s transgression, calling it a “mental mistake.”

The Post and Courier of Charleston first reported Thornwell’s arrest.

A team spokeswoman said Tuesday nothing had changed with Thornwell’s suspension and would not say if the arrest figured into the discipline.

The 16th-ranked Gamecocks (8-1) lost 67-64 to Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

Thornwell, from Lancaster, was seen making an aggressive lane change while driving in Cayce not far from campus on May 22, according to the report. The officer who stopped Thornwell said he found his driving privileges in South Carolina were suspended for two failure to pay traffic offenses.

The officer said in the report he detected the odor of marijuana in the car and uncovered “two blunts.”

Martin said last week that Thornwell would return to the court, but did not say when. He has continued to practice and travel with the team.

Thornwell had averaged 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds this season, helping South Carolina to victories over then No. 25 Michigan and No. 18 Syracuse in a four-day stretch last month. The Gamecocks rose to 16th this week in the Top 25 for their highest ranking in 18 years.