Top-30 prospect Sindarius Thornwell chooses South Carolina

Sindarius Thornwell trimmed his list to two schools last week: South Carolina and North Carolina State. He was expected to take official visits to the two schools in the coming weeks – but it looks like he didn't want to wait.

On Monday night, Thornwell committed to South Carolina.

“I feel comfortable with Coach Frank (Martin) and I believe in him,” Thornwell told the South Carolina affilate of 247 Sports. “I feel closer to them than I do to North Carolina State.”

The Gamecocks had been the favorite in recent weeks, and Thornwell consistently maintained for a couple of years that South Carolina was one of the schools pursuing him the hardest. New head coach Frank Martin didn't let off the pedal once he took over in Columbia, either.

Thornwell, a 6-foot-5 scoring guard, is ranked No. 26 in the class of 2013 by CBSSports.com. He is one of the tougher scorers in the country, using his strength and body control to score at the rim against defenders. During the spring and summer, he worked on his perimeter shot and his ball-handling ability, attempting to become more well-rounded offensively. He became more and more difficult to defend as his game expanded, as evidenced by his 16.7 points per game during the EYBL season.

Thornwell, who transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) prior to this school year, is South Carolina's second commitment in the 2013 class. He joins big man Desmond Ringer, who pledged to the Gamecocks last week.

South Carolina struggled a season ago, but Martin is looking to turn the Gamecocks around. Thornwell will bring much-needed scoring punch next fall.