One of the prized recruits of the Duke Blue Devils is transferring and it may affect Mike Kryzewski's recruiting prowess in the future.
The transfer was already being rumored for the past week and was eventually confirmed by Thornton's close family friend and trainer Mark Edwards on social media. In a 24/7 report, there were also allegations that he "misled" the young point guard.
"I was in Coach K's office when he told Derryck he would be used in a ball screen offense," Edwards told 247Sports' Jerry Meyer. "Looking at this year's team, I think he knew he wouldn't have the type of team to follow through on that promise. Derryck was in on 20+ ball screen situations this year, and in comparison (Providence freshman) Kris Dunn was in over 250+ situations ... to me, he was lied to."
"I do believe Thornton came to Duke with unrealistic expectations of how he would be used in the offense," Meyer, 247Sports' Director of Basketball Scouting, said. "Coach K likely did overpromise, as is typical in recruiting. However, it became evident quickly that a high ball-screen offense centered around Thornton was not the best approach for Duke. He did get 26 minutes per game, but in those minutes shot only 39 percent and delivered 2.6 assists."
Team strategy is the coach's call and it would be difficult to argue against one of the best in Coach K. No one seems to question the coach's prerogative but the issue of what he promised to convince Thornton to skip his senior high school year could affect the integrity of the program in their future recruiting pitches.
However, there are other angles to consider on how Thornton arrived at his decision (his school of choice has not been announced). SB Nation noted that Duke's incoming freshman class, no.2 in the nation, could be the reason.
Writer Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation noted that Duke went through great lengths to acquire Thornton whom they groomed to take over point guard duties after the departure of Tyus Jones. It seemed like a golden opportunity to take over the reins of the newly-crowned champions.
Was Thornton planning on being a "one-and-done" and did not anticipate playing with the next recruiting class? The article points out that Thornton's departure could even favor the Blue Devils for two reasons.
Firstly, Duke is still recruiting Marques Bolden, a five-star center and they are already on the scholarship limit. If Thornton leaves, that scholarship slot will be open again. Also, Duke has recruited Frank Jackson, the McDonald's All-American co-MVP and Coach K might be inclined to start him over Thornton.
Was Thornton better off staying in his own class (2016) instead of leaving early? Should he have chosen a school that could start him for the long term?
Coach K has meshed freshmen with upperclassmen before, the latest example being Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook. Thornton may have been wary of his exposure and consequently, his draft stock. This has been an issue with other one-and-done schools like Kentucky. Will future five-stars think twice before joining the dynasties?