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80 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED was a similarly multi-faceted stat- line stuffer during her four years, helping the school to a state title as a freshman. By the time she was a senior, All-Star Girls Report ranked Thornton as the 62th-best player in her class. "Torrie was one of those play- ers who could play any position on the floor," said sister Melanie Thornton, who played at Butler from 2007-10. "I was so envious of the fact that I was pretty much a post player and power forward and she could go from point guard to post player in a matter of seconds. And then on top of that, with her being left-handed, in high school there really wasn't anything that she couldn't do. And there wasn't anything that she thought she couldn't do, which I think was more important. I'm excited to see that same mindset but in the college arena this year and for her to really get the chance to go back to that same mindset and thought process, that she really has no limitations on the court." The limitations have been in- hibiting. And frustrating, probably no injury more so than the broken foot. Just about the time Thornton was feeling it again last season, she got stepped on in practice, a teammate planting down hard on her right foot. For a couple weeks, she tried to play through the pain, something she's had a tendency to do — for better or worse — during her career. Then it got stepped on again, and the pain level increased to the point where she was unable to run. A scan showed a break, re- quiring surgery to insert a cou- ple screws and putting her on the sideline for the season's last nine games. It was a depressing end, with the Boilermakers win- ning only one of those games, and awkward as well; to keep weight off the right foot, Thornton was forced onto a scooter, propping up the boot-encased appendage onto a specially designed rehab trolley. She wheeled everywhere, onto the Mackey Arena court while her teammates went through pre- game warmups, to classes, to the grocery store. "I actually ended up getting the nickname 'Scooter' from all the trainers in the training room," she said. "It was so annoying, especially because I would go on away trips still, so putting my scooter under the bus and having to hop on. "I was happy to get off the scoot- er. I was happier with crutches than the scooter. I was getting places faster with the scooter, but I was like, 'This is so embarrass- ing.' … I'm glad to be done with scooter and crutches for the rest of my life, hopefully." Can't blame her. Wouldn't blame her either if she had let the injuries rip her down, turn her into a negative ball of energy that pulled the oth- ers down around her, especially when the Boilermakers were los- ing last season. But that's not Thornton. "She just is never really down about it," teammate Bridget Perry said. "I'm sure she's frus- trated, but she doesn't show it in the training room. She does everything she can to get back, does what Jess and the trainers and doctors tell her to do to get back. She's persevered through so much and has gained so much re- Tom Campbell Thornton can be a valuable player for the Boilermakers because she's willing to get after it, being tough on the glass and solid on defense. But she needs to be healthy.