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Thornton finds ‘dream’ at Aggieland
San Antonio product becomes cage star in late season
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THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1974
Page 5
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By TONY GALLUCCI
Staff Sports Writer
The American Dream has come
true at A&M for John Thornton.
To Thornton, that dream has
been a road from high school bas
ketball to major college stardom
sprinkled with tragedy and dis
appointment.
Thornton got his start at San
Antonio Holmes, where he was an
Honorable Mention All-District
quarterback. “I hurt my back
during my junior year,” states
Thornton, “and had trouble decid
ing whether to stay with football
and possibly hurt my back again,
or concentrate on basketball.”
Thornton decided to stay on the
court but gives credit to his
coach, Paul Taylor, for guiding
him in the right direction. Just a
week before the start of the sea
son, the 30-yr. old coach died of
leukemia. “He was a really fine
man and I admire him,” says
Thornton, noting his death was
probably the teams’ downfall that
season.
The big postman was recruited
sparsely, but among those who
wanted him was A&M. Coach
Shelby Metcalf was looking for a
forward and apparently seeing
the possibilities in Thornton, sug
gested he attend junior college to
sharpen his skills. Thornton en
tered San Antonio College to play
under coach Ronnie Culpepper
(brother of Aggie assistant coach
Jim Culpepper).
“It was a big letdown, it was
such a big deal to go to a major
college,” reminisces Thornton,
“but I decided I could improve
there (SAC) and I don’t regret
going.”
After his two year stay in San
Antonio, Thornton felt he could
play ball at A&M. “And that’s
where I am today.”
In his transformation from post
to forward at A&M, Thornton
averaged 12.4 points and 6.9 re
bounds (15.4 and 7.6 in confer
ence play). Since he began his
starting role in conference he
averaged 20 points per game.
“I’ve always felt like contribut
ing or helping the team.” Thorn
ton continues, “it doesn’t matter
on
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whether I come off the bench or
start.” Looking back on his first
year as an Aggie, he says, “there
was a lot of pressure, there was
no easy game. Anyone could beat
anyone in this conference. We
lost a couple and it was hard to
get back on track.”
Looking ahead Thornton con
tends, “we have the nucleus to
build a solid team.”
Trying to avoid himself, Thorn
ton heaps praise in every direc
tion.
“C. W. (Guthrie), Webb (Wil
liams), Ray (Roberts) and Mike
(Johnson) are responsible for our
bench depth, our quickness, speed,
hustle and defense.”
Thornton, who shared the spot
light with Cedric Joseph at Rice,
continues, “Ced took the pressure
off me. He got the crucial bas
kets.”
Of coach Shelby Metcalf, Thorn
ton says, “He’s a really great per
son, he knows basketball.”
The word has gotten around
that coach Nonn Reuther has
really helped Aggie post play.
“Yes,” says Thornton, “he has
helped me greatly.”
Thornton is also quite apprecia
tive of his sister, whom he says
receives too little attention. She
is a sophomore transfer from
Baylor who, notes Thornton,
“helps me a lot. She is always
around when I need someone to
talk to. She never gets tired of
basketball and I really appreciate
it.”
Thornton, himself deserving of
praise, finds it abundant.
Says co-captain Joe Arciniega,
“he really impresses me. He has
a lot of leadership bdth on and off
the court. But you have to be
careful when you room with him,”
says Arciniega, who roomed with
Thornton on the Christmas road
trip, “or he’ll use up all of your
shampoo.”
In his first conference start
(against Arkansas) Thornton
scored 29 points, pulled down nine
rebounds, and scored eight clutch
points in overtime to insure the
Aggie victory.
Upon leaving the game early
in the second half, he received a
well deserved standing ovation.
At a later press conference,
Metcalf said, “John is a real fine
person. The kind of kid you want
your daughter to bring home. It
just so happens he plays basket
ball, too. Tuesday (against Ar
kansas) was a just reward for a
guy who really paid the price.”
Against Baylor on Tuesday,
Thornton connected on 12 of 19
field goals and seven of eight free
throws to total 31 points, his sea
son high. The most Thornton
could spill out after the game was,
“it feels great.”
Somewhere in the press box
during the Rice game were heard
mumbles that Thornton might be
in the running for all-SWC next
year if he keeps improving at the
present rate. Thornton shrugs
if off saying he just plans on im
proving and doing what he can
for the team.
Thornton will be back next year
as a senior to help that “solid
team” chase the SWC crown and
he might do it in all-conference
form.
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JOHN THORNTON sinks another one on his way to becoming
the star of the A&M basketball team in the late season. (Pho
to by Steve Krauss)
Netters travel
to two tourneys
Texas A&M tennis players
will be in two tournaments this
weekend, at Corpus Christi and
Kingsville.
A&M’s top seven players—Bill
Hoover, Bill Wright, Dan Courson,
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meet while Kermit Smith Scooter
McMeans, Fred Herring, Alan
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A&M’s first team will face
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the above match. Other teams in
A&M’s bracket are Pan Am, New
Mexico, Kansas and top-seeded
Houston.
Both meets are team, not in
dividual, elimination events.
Intramural
Results
Class B Racquetball
F-l over L-2
Squadron 4 over D-2
Class C Racquetball
White over Hart
Puryear over Law
Class A Softball
Squadron 9 over L-l
White Band over K-l
Squadron 5 over C-l
Squadron 7 over K2
A-l over Squadron 12
Maroon Band over H-l
Squadron 13 over B-2
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1974
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