Derryck Thornton
- Year: Freshman
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Position: Point guard
- This year’s statline 7.1 PPG, 2.6 APG, 1.8 RPG, 0.8 SPG
- The Blue Zone’s predicted stat line: 11.0 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.0 RPG
Season Breakdown:
As the one true point guard on Duke’s roster, Thornton proved to be an integral part of the Blue Devils' seven-man rotation despite arriving at Duke under unique circumstances. Originally a member of the class of 2016, Thornton reclassified as a 2015 prospect after Tyus Jones declared for the NBA draft last spring, which left the Blue Devils in need of a floor general for this season.
In order to complete the reclassification process, Thornton spent the summer before his freshman year at Duke cramming to graduate high school and be eligible to play. He did not arrive on campus until August, missing all of the team's summer workouts and valuable bonding time with his teammates.
Thornton did not have much time to adjust to the college game, and the Chatsworth, Calif., native struggled in his first few contests, combining to shoot just 3-for-17 from the field against Siena and Bryant. Thornton soon found his rhythm and earned his first start in the 2K Classic against VCU Nov. 20. The point guard finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, trailing only Grayson Allen in the scoring column.
Just when it seemed like Thornton was turning the corner and becoming a consistent contributor, the freshman had to make another adjustment along with the rest of the Blue Devils when senior Amile Jefferson suffered a season-ending foot injury in early December. Without their captain, the Blue Devils thrust extra leadership responsibilities on Thornton—who may have been too inexperienced to take on the role.
Thornton enjoyed a few shining moments throughout the remainder of the season—pouring in 15 points against Long Beach State and 18 points at Georgia Tech—but the freshman struggled to be a consistent producer for the Blue Devils, especially in ACC play. His performance against the Yellow Jackets was the only time he scored in double figures in Duke's last 23 games, and he came off the bench in all five postseason contests.
The 6-foot-2 point guard continued to be an x-factor for the Blue Devils due to his defense and prowess at the point. Thornton hounded opposing guards with tenacious on-ball defense—sealing the Blue Devils' biggest win of the year on the road against then-No. 5 North Carolina with a block on the game's final possession—and was able to navigate a series of difficult circumstances to emerge as an important role player in the Duke lineup.
Considering Thornton shot only 32.5 percent from beyond the arc, the next step for the freshman is to further develop his perimeter jumper. As time goes on, the guard will need to also build a better rapport with his teammates on the court.
Results relative to expectations:
Thornton was expected to be a big offensive weapon for the Blue Devils right out of high school. With a clean jump shot and high shooting percentages from distance, Thornton averaged 17.0 points along with 6.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in his final year of high school play. That offensive prowess did not quite carry over to the college game as smoothly as many expected it to, but little can be done to prepare to play against talented ACC point guards like Anthony "Cat" Barber, Demetrius Jackson and Angel Rodriguez. Thornton dealt with a steep learning curve in his first season at Duke, and his numbers reflect that.
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