Duke nabs 5-star point
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Ever since Duke made an offer to class of 2016 five-star point guard Derryck Thornton the Blue Devils have been considered the leader. When Tyus Jones announced he was turning pro after his freshman year, it was speculated that Thornton wouldn't just commit to Duke but would also move to the class of 2015 to replace Jones. It all came to fruition on Tuesday morning.
Monday night, the 6-foot-1 point guard at Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep hosted the Blue Devils staff for an in-home visit. Tuesday morning, Thornton's father confirmed to Rivals.com that the floor general had committed to Duke and that he will indeed be moving to the class of 2015.
The commitment is huge for the reigning national champions on several fronts. Most importantly, it solves what was looking like could have been a major problem for them at the point guard position. Not only did they lose Jones to the NBA Draft, Quinn Cook, who had played point prior to the arrival of Jones, is a graduating senior which essentially left nobody to play the point.
Even though there are plenty of minutes to be had, what stuck out to Thornton and his family was that he would still have to earn the minutes and play how the coaches tell him to.
"Coach K will make you run the offense," said Thornton's father. "If you aren't going to run the offense then you aren't going to play."
Enter Thornton. Ranked No. 9 overall in the class of 2016, he is a bit different stylistically from Jones. He is a bit more likely to attack the rim, really likes to shoot the mid-range pull-up and while he isn't as natural a playmaker or quite as at ease navigating the pick-and-roll as Jones was, he is a very effective on-the-ball defender who can really pressure opponents.
"Coach made no bones about it that he wanted Derryck," said Thornton. "This wasn't about going and finding a guy to fill the spot. He wanted him because he was the best guy."
The addition of Thornton can surely be seen as a possible aid in the pursuit of five-star small forward Brandon Ingram as well. The North Carolina native will announce his decision on Monday and while Duke has been well positioned, the lack of a point guard had been considered a behind the scenes concern. It doesn't guarantee Ingram -- who is also considering North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, NC State and UCLA -- commits to Duke, but it certainly won't hurt its chances.
With Thornton in the fold, the Blue Devils now have a four-man recruiting class that features two five-stars in addition to Thornton. Thornton will debut in the 2015 rankings on Wednesday, where he will join Las Vegas big man Chase Jeter and Ohio shooter Luke Kennard as a five-star prospect. Three-star big man Antonio Vrankovic rounds out the class.
