Derryck Thornton’s time at Duke has come to an end. The former five-star point guard, who reclassified to join the Blue Devils’ 2015 recruiting class, announced over the weekend that he plans on transferring out of Durham. Thornton averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 assists per game for the Blue Devils in 2015-16. As for the future of the position for the Blue Devils, while they could certainly use a guy as talented as Thornton, odds are they’ll be fine—five-star point guard Frank Jackson will join Duke this offseason.
Thornton’s uncle/personal trainer had some thoughts on his decision to transfer, criticizing head coach Mike Krzyzewski for his handling of the young point guard.
YES….SO GLAD ITS OVER, BEEN HOLDING IT IN TOO LONG…#NEPHEW IS FREE!!!! https://t.co/ALC14yVlKd
— Sifu (@MEdwardsBball) April 10, 2016
I don't know Coach K personally and this isn't an all out attack on his personal Character, I'm just saying #TheyLied
— Sifu (@MEdwardsBball) April 10, 2016
I can't say that Future Duke recruits will have the same experience as my guy, but moving forward I can say 💯 #YoungMetroDontTrustDuke
— Sifu (@MEdwardsBball) April 10, 2016
I was in the office at Duke when they BEGGED my #Nephew to Skip his Senior year..give up a piece of his childhood for a great opportunity
— Sifu (@MEdwardsBball) April 10, 2016
While all of this may be true, Thornton didn’t cite playing time as his reason for leaving the program. Instead, the California native said that he wants to play somewhere closer to home. Here’s his statement, via ESPN:
“I have loved my time at Duke, but I want to pursue the opportunity to play college basketball closer to home. I want to thank my teammates and coaches for their support this year. The relationships I have with them will always be special to me.”
