This time, though, it feels a little different.

Once a walk-on, Thornton now is a starter for a Spartan team that has locked up a share of the conference championship. With a win at 4 p.m. Sunday against No. 10 Ohio State — Senior Day at Breslin Center — MSU could win the outright title.

After being a bench player for three years, Thornton is playing the best basketball of his career and is a big reason why the Spartans find themselves in such a position.

“There’s no question it’s different,” Thornton said. “Just because I’ve had a lot more to do with it on the court in the actual games. Before, I was delegated to the scout team and the practice squad and didn’t really play much.

“That’s not the case this year, and that makes it really special for me.”

Hard work pays off
In his 17 years as head coach, Tom Izzo has had walk-ons or former walk-ons find success.

The most recent example came last season, when guard Mike Kebler started the last nine games of his senior year and helped MSU make the NCAA Tournament.

But as far as Izzo is concerned, one thing sets Thornton apart from those who came before.

“Nobody’s worked harder than Austin,” Izzo said. “He’s put in more time than most human beings could. It should be illegal.”

Known for being a lethal shooter in high school, Thornton redshirted his first year on campus. He committed to MSU expecting to be a walk-on right away, but Maurice Joseph’s transfer allowed him to be a scholarship player during his redshirt season. The next year, it was back to being a walk-on, before playing on scholarship the last three seasons.

After averaging a little more than one point his first two years, Thornton’s playing time went up last season, but he still ended up on the bench when it counted.

So he just kept working.

Last summer, Izzo said Thornton spent morning, noon and night at Breslin Center “shooting his brains out.” After a recent practice, Izzo estimated his lone returning senior guard took 4,000 shots per week preparing for his final season.

“It’s just always been something I love to do,” Thornton said. “I could be in the gym by myself at nighttime and just love to do it. I’ve spent a lot of time here by myself.”

Still, Thornton couldn’t buy a basket early this season. He didn’t score until the fourth game of the year, and he often would pass up open shots, leaving Izzo yelling “Shoot it!” from the bench.

But right after the new year, something clicked.

It started with a couple 3-pointers against Iowa in early January. Then two in a loss at Michigan and three more in a bounce-back win against Purdue.

On Feb. 5, in a win over U-M, Thornton started in place of senior guard Brandon Wood and has remained in the starting lineup ever since. He is averaging 7.3 points in the last eight games, which is five more than his career average.

And all it took was a chance to play without looking to the bench after every little mishap.

“The thing about this year, I was finally able to play through some of my mistakes and say, ‘Hey, that shot didn’t go in but maybe it will in the second half,’” Thornton said. “That’s what really helped me — the fact that I knew I was going to continue to play.”

Quiet leader
Before the season even began, Thornton made his mark on this year’s team. Thornton hasn’t been as openly vocal as senior forward Draymond Green, but Izzo said even Green sometimes relies on his fellow senior and captain.

“I’d say he’s been a behind-the-scenes guy,” Izzo said.

“He leads by what he does, but he does more than what you all see.”
As a fifth-year player who’s seen it all, Thornton has earned respect in the locker room for his work ethic and for his wisdom.

Izzo said the young players look up to Thornton, and everyone goes to him for advice on how to deal with certain situations.

When sophomore center Adreian Payne’s grandmother died this summer, Thornton was the one there for him to keep his mind off a difficult time in his life. Payne said it’s those little things that make Thornton so valuable to the 2011-12 Spartans.

“We always talk,” Payne said. “You can go to him and talk about anything. … For a freshman to come in, he’s a great guy to look up to and keep you from getting too down on yourself. He’s just always there.”

Leaving a footprint
Through all of the ups and downs, Thornton said the support from his teammates always kept him going.

Sunday, he’ll play in front of the Breslin Center crowd with those teammates for the final time.

As a guy who could have gone to a smaller school, such as Oakland, and had a chance at more playing time, Thornton said he’s never regretted his decision to come to MSU. Because, as he points out, why should he?

In their last home game, Thornton and Green have a chance to become the only Spartans in history to win two outright Big Ten championships. For someone who grew up watching MSU basketball and put in endless hours at the gym, accomplishing such a goal would be the perfect way to go out and a dream come true.

“That would just be amazing,” Thornton said.

“Coach always talks about leaving a footprint, and that would be one hell of a footprint to leave for (Green) and I. We’ve been through a lot together, and go out in our last year, our last hoorah, to have something like that happen is really special.”