Derryck Thornton to Transfer from Duke: Latest Comments, Reaction

Duke freshman point guard Derryck Thornton plans to transfer to a new school, according to reports from Jeff Goodman of ESPN and Josh Gershon of Scout.com. 

Thornton averaged 7.1 points, 2.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game in the 2015-16 season.

According to Gershon, Duke is expected to grant him a full release. Goodman and Jeff Borzello of ESPN added that Thornton "could look to move closer to his California home, according to sources." 

Goodman also gave more context to Thornton's decision:

Indeed, the Blue Devils have the No. 2 recruiting class for 2016, per 247Sports, behind only Kentucky. The Blue Devils have received commitments from three 5-star players: No. 2 overall player and top power forward Harry Giles, No. 4 overall player and top small forward Jayson Tatum and No. 14 overall player and No. 4 point guard Frank Jackson, per 247Sports.

Goodman and Borzello noted that Jackson is "more of a scorer" but also noted that Thornton "saw his minutes fluctuate during most of ACC play despite being the only pure point guard on the roster."

On a Duke roster that will also include star guard Grayson Allen—who is capable of being the team's primary ball-handler—Thornton's role likely would have declined noticeably in 2016-17. And with Luke Kennard and Matt Jones returning at guard as well, the position will be stacked for Duke next season. 

While Thornton will have to sit out a season to transfer—he'll still have three seasons of eligibility remaining—plenty of teams around the nation will be interested in acquiring his services. Thornton clearly didn't see a future for himself at Duke. With a different program, he'll likely have the opportunity to eventually carve out a starting role at the point guard position.

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