Sindarius Thornwell a finalist for Freshman of the Year award

After a strong freshman campaign in Columbia, freshman Sindarius Thornwell finds himself in the running for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Award, alongside two of his SEC brethren - Julius Randle of Kentucky and Jordan Mickey of LSU.  The award announced its 35 finalists on Tuesday.  It will announce the winner on April 4.

Thornwell led the Gamecocks his freshman year, averaging 13.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.  While the Gamecocks failed to play in the postseason for the fifth consecutive year, it made impressive strides in its second season under Frank Martin.  The wing player also led the Gamecocks in minutes played in his first year in college basketball.

Thornwell seems unlikely to win the award, given he's up against Randle, who took SEC Freshman of the Year honorsearlier this season.  Randle and the Wildcats head to Dallas this weekend for the Final Four.