Point guard Derryck Thornton will transfer to USC to continue his college career, he informed Scout's Josh Gershon Friday.
Thornton took more than two months to make his decision and had narrowed his list of potential destinations down to USC, Kansas, Washington and Miami before settling on the Trojans. He will have sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules but will have three years of college eligibility left beginning with the 2017-18 season.
Former 5-star PG Derryck Thornton, Jr. will transfer from #Duke to #USC, he tells Scout: https://t.co/KKRDrFk7R0 pic.twitter.com/X7zqTzMshX
— Josh Gershon (@JoshGershon) June 17, 2016
The 6-foot-2 point guard announced his decision to transfer from Duke in a press release April 10 and voiced his desire to play closer to home. The Trojan campus in Los Angeles is fewer than 40 miles from Thornton's hometown of Chatsworth, Calif.
Head coach Andy Enfield led USC to its first NCAA tournament appearance in five years last season, and the Trojans will hope Thornton can help them continue their rise when he begins play.
Tyus Jones' departure after Duke's 2014-15 national championship season left a hole at the point guard position for the Blue Devils, and Thornton reclassified from the Class of 2016 to enroll in college a year early. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.6 assists per game as a freshman and started 20 of Duke's 36 games, but did not play more than 25 minutes in any of the Blue Devils' final six contests.
After enjoying a year as the only true point guard on Duke's roster, Thornton would have had to battle for playing time next season with combo guard Frank Jackson, ESPN's No. 10 recruit in the Class of 2016.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.