Tyler Thornton recruitment

[Blueequalslife23]

A 6'2 Point guard out of DC recently visited Duke and scout says he has 3 offers the day after his visit but only list 2. Has Duke offered him?

[jimsumner]

Duke and Thornton have significant mutual interest. But Thornton is class of '10 and Duke is still working on the PG class of '09 and has even more significant interest with '10 PG Knight. So there is some figuring-stuff-out to do and some waiting to do.

[kramerbr]

The guy who has been shutting down Kendall Marshall all summer has been offered.

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=16...amp;nid=2905705

[dukeballer2294]

i thought he signed with texas

[kramerbr]

The guy who has been shutting down Kendall Marshall all summer has been offered.

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=16...amp;nid=2905705

Hope this one works...

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=8&c=1&nid=2905705

[FireOgilvie]

How many people out of DC or DC AAU teams is that? Pretty interesting.


Edit: I'm shocked we are offering this guy over Knight... maybe Coach K knows something I don't haha.

[yancem]

Does this mean that we are no longer going after Brandon Knight? We have been hearing about how interested Duke is in Knight for almost a year now. It seems kind of odd to now offer another point guard without first offering him? I'm not saying that this is a bad thing but am a little confused and am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this.

[Bob Green]

Does this mean that we are no longer going after Brandon Knight? We have been hearing about how interested Duke is in Knight for almost a year now. It seems kind of odd to now offer another point guard without first offering him? I'm not saying that this is a bad thing but am a little confused and am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this.

I can only offer an opinion and in my opinion the offer to Thornton has no impact on our pursuit of Brandon Knight. We will have at least five scholarships available in 2010 and simultaneously recruiting two point guards isn't extreme.

[FireOgilvie]

Come on down!!!

[gotham devil]

i thought he signed with texas

You are confusing 6'8" Tristan Thompson with 6'2" Tyler Thornton.

[dukeballer2294]

right, my bad guys.

[CameronCrazy'11]

I can only offer an opinion and in my opinion the offer to Thornton has no impact on our pursuit of Brandon Knight. We will have at least five scholarships available in 2010 and simultaneously recruiting two point guards isn't extreme.

Especially with Nolan leaving after their freshman year. If we don't land Kenny Boynton than we deeeeeeeeefinitely still want Knight.

[mgtr]

Edit: I'm shocked we are offering this guy over Knight... maybe Coach K knows something I don't haha.

I am betting that Coach K knows a whole of stuff that the rest of us do not.

[Bob Green]

I am betting that Coach K knows a whole of stuff that the rest of us do not.

POTM = Post of the Millennium!

[CameronCrazy'11]

I think the best way to frame the question is not "will we still pursue Knight?", but "who, if anyone, won't we pursue anymore?"

The way it stands now, we have 3 spots available for '09 and then 5 more for '10 (this includes Mason Plumlee and Dawkins). Before Thornton's offer our top targets in 2010 were generally thought to be Dawkins (in the bag), Josh Hairston, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight, and Josh Smith. These guys plus Thornton would make six in 2010. To open up that extra spot could be as simple as not offering anyone other than Boynton and Plumlee in '09. Or, of course that extra spot would open if someone from the '07 recruiting class or later left early. The Thornton offer could also mean that if one of our '10 recruits falls through we won't pursue a back-up for him. However, I really don't think this means that we're not going after Knight anymore. Personally I'm inclined to think that the coaches are willing to "settle" for a class of Boynton and Plumlee in '09 and save an extra scholarship for down the road. But that's just a hunch.

[yancem]

I can only offer an opinion and in my opinion the offer to Thornton has no impact on our pursuit of Brandon Knight. We will have at least five scholarships available in 2010 and simultaneously recruiting two point guards isn't extreme.

I don't necessarily disagree (although if we were to sign Boynton and he stays for multiple years, we'd be crowded at the pg/cg spot) but it seems odd that we not offer the the guy that is supposedly the top priority before we offer the next guy in line. I'm sure that K has his reasons, maybe he thinks that Knight isn't as interested in Duke as everyone else thinks, or that he is dead set on being a 1 and done, or that Thorton is about to explode and is actually the better prospect/fit for Duke. It's not that I don't trust K's judgment, it's just that on the surface it seems like a odd way of going about assembling the '10 class.

An additional thought is, we haven't heard from Watzone about this offer yet which leads me to believe that Scout might not have their information correct. Wouldn't be the first time.

[dukeimac]

As usual, you guys need to trust the coaching staff. They know a lot more than we do about the history of these guys. Just because a guy is a good basketball player doesn't mean he is of good character or maybe they can't hold a grade or maybe they are one and done.

Duke pursued Love and Singler. Duke got Singler (for at least 2 years). They didn't pursue Love as hard (towards the end) and look how long he stayed at UCLA. People didn't like Love's attitude, he was upset that he had to share the state's MVP with Singler. The guys dad was saying things that people didn't care for. I think the coaching staff talked to them enough to know something smelled bad about that guy.

I think the coaching staff knows what they are doing and why they are offering to whom. I think Knight is a one and done guy.

No one on this board probably has talked with Knight for an hour to find out what he is like or checked his grades to see if he can make it at Duke or asked him how long he thinks it will take him to make it to the NBA. All you know is he can play basketball. Just because someone looks good on the outside doesn't mean the inside is all that great.

If that is all it takes to sell you then I have a car to sell you, it is cheap and has a new interior.

[watzone]

I have talked to Brandon Knight recently and he still likes Duke, vice versa. To not trust that Duke knows what they are doing is ridiculous. They talk to these kids about their decisions on a regular basis, making key targets aware of their plans. Knight lists Duke in his top schools and nothing has changed. He is an off the charts excellent student and has Duke character, meeting all pre requsites and there is nothing he has done wrong. Thortons offer in no way hinders Duke's desire for Knight and he knows there is an offer awaiting him at Duke. For now, Kenny Boynton is the most important recruit.

Now, let's return this thread to Tyler Thornton, who would be a great addition. He's played against some great comp and has what it takes to succeed at Duke, thus the offer. He is friends with Josh Hairston as well. The Duke staff is very high on him and an offer has been in the works for awhile.

Anymore talk on "the sky is falling or there goes BK and there is no BK," is fruitless unless you want to get into a fantasy recruiting game, which is not as fun as fantasy football.

[studdlee10]

Knight is still Duke's number 1 target. Thornton will provide depth for his first couple of years. Thornton is a solid PG, but nobody would start over Brandon Knight for his one year in college. Also, consider that there is a chance that Nolan and Elliot won't be around for 4 years and this offer makes sense. Duke hasn't had an athletic, driving, defensive stopper at the PG spot since Chris Duhon, stocking the roster with 2 of them (Thornton and hopefully Knight) will go a long ways in helping bring Duke back to prominence.

[dukeimac]

I have talked to Brandon Knight recently and he still likes Duke, vice versa. To not trust that Duke knows what they are doing is ridiculous. They talk to these kids about their decisions on a regular basis, making key targets aware of their plans. Knight lists Duke in his top schools and nothing has changed. He is an off the charts excellent student and has Duke character, meeting all pre requsites and there is nothing he has done wrong. Thortons offer in no way hinders Duke's desire for Knight and he knows there is an offer awaiting him at Duke. For now, Kenny Boynton is the most important recruit.

Now, let's return this thread to Tyler Thornton, who would be a great addition. He's played against some great comp and has what it takes to succeed at Duke, thus the offer. He is friends with Josh Hairston as well. The Duke staff is very high on him and an offer has been in the works for awhile.

Anymore talk on "the sky is falling or there goes BK and there is no BK," is fruitless unless you want to get into a fantasy recruiting game, which is not as fun as fantasy football.

This is the type of talk I want to hear.

Question then that I think others want to know is why did Duke offer Tyler Thornton and not Brandon? Would Brandon still commit to Duke if Tyler commits? Will Tyler commit if Brandon commits?

I don't think the world if falling. When it comes to Duke I trust the coaching staff knows what they are doing, who they want on the team. They have their reasons for recruiting someone and not recruiting others. Reasons we have no idea of.

I don't care how good Allen Iverson was he was not Duke material.

[watzone]

Brandon Knight has been offered.

[SilkyJ]

man: boynton, williams, dawkins, knight, and thornton. loooooottttta guards. but they're all so good!

[Bluedawg]

i thought he signed with texas

I didn't see this answered. Does anyone have any insight?

[RainingThrees]

Tristan Thompson commited to Texas. Thornton hasn't commited yet.

[speedevil]

man: boynton, williams, dawkins, knight, and thornton. loooooottttta guards. but they're all so good!

we need a true center.
i love all the guards and forwards, but give me 1 true center, just like boozer or shelden or brand.

[SMO]

we need a true center.
i love all the guards and forwards, but give me 1 true center, just like boozer or shelden or brand.

Have anyone in mind? Is there a 2010 prospect that is similar to any of those 3?

[yancem]

we need a true center.
i love all the guards and forwards, but give me 1 true center, just like boozer or shelden or brand.

Don't forget that we will have Miles and Mason Plumlee still on the team. Both are in the 6'10" range and should have decent bulk by then. Both are also pretty athletic. It's yet to be seen exactly how good they will be but they should be able to play the center position just fine.

[roywhite]

Have anyone in mind? Is there a 2010 prospect that is similar to any of those 3?

Josh Smith, 6'9" 270# from Washington state, is ranked among the top 5 in the class of 2010 (some say contending for #1 prospect), and is shown on the rivals.com database as having an offer from Duke. He is a true low post scorer, rebounder, and shotblocker.

[BLUEDEVILS]

Think about the scholarship situation for 2010. In 2009, we will be coming off a championship run (at least final four, great chance for K's 4th title). Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler will be going into there senior years, and if we win it, i dont like our chances of keeping both of them.

Most of us think that Gerald Henderson will be gone after this year, but if he stays, thats another scholarship. Scheyer, Pocius, Thomas and Zoubek will be all graduating.

Dont forget, we have room for 3 in the 09 class, and say for instance we sign Plumlee, Boynton and Jamil Wilson.

After 09 Championship run:
PG- Nolan Smith
SG- Kenny Boynton
SF- Jamil Wilson
PF- Mason Plumlee, Olek Czyz
C- Miles Plumlee

Thats only 6 guys on scholarship! 5 if you think Smith will leave early. So at a maximum number, we could have 8 scholarships open for:
PG- Brandon Knight, Tyler Thornton
SG- Andre Dawkins
SF- Harrison Barnes
PF- Josh Hairston, Nate Lubick
C- Josh Smith

I know its not real possible to think about, but this would be the best recruiting class ever if we could sign everyone above.

[yancem]

Think about the scholarship situation for 2010. In 2009, we will be coming off a championship run (at least final four, great chance for K's 4th title). Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler will be going into there senior years, and if we win it, i dont like our chances of keeping both of them.

Most of us think that Gerald Henderson will be gone after this year, but if he stays, thats another scholarship. Scheyer, Pocius, Thomas and Zoubek will be all graduating.

Dont forget, we have room for 3 in the 09 class, and say for instance we sign Plumlee, Boynton and Jamil Wilson.

After 09 Championship run:
PG- Nolan Smith
SG- Kenny Boynton
SF- Jamil Wilson
PF- Mason Plumlee, Olek Czyz
C- Miles Plumlee

Thats only 6 guys on scholarship! 5 if you think Smith will leave early. So at a maximum number, we could have 8 scholarships open for:
PG- Brandon Knight, Tyler Thornton
SG- Andre Dawkins
SF- Harrison Barnes
PF- Josh Hairston, Nate Lubick
C- Josh Smith

I know its not real possible to think about, but this would be the best recruiting class ever if we could sign everyone above.

'09 is next season so you're off by a year. Also you forgot E-Will which would give us 7 returning players.

Also, there is no way that K would bring in more than 6 recruits in one class. First of all, you could never get freshman as talented as those on your list, to ride the pine for their entire freshman year and probably half the guys you list would have to make that sacrifice. Second that would make recruiting the '11 class an absolute nightmare. A couple of those guys are 1-2 year caliber star players but with so much competition it would be impossible to know who would rise to the top as freshman and who would have to stick around a little longer. Also, how do you even try to convince someone from the following class that they could break into the rotation? Then when half the class goes pro after their sophomore year and you have no one in the next class you have a two year hole that can't be filled.

[watzone]

Just a bump and hoping Tyler gets his due instead of the thread straying off topic. The kids a solid prospect and an inportant prosect for the Blue Devils.

[RainingThrees]

There's not to much info on Thronton. Does anyone know what kind of player he is?

[BLUEDEVILS]

Yancem, it was very late.......:confused:

[bozz03]

Tyler would be a vitale piece to the '10 class. He's a very solid hard nosed PG who likes to defend and is a pass first PG. He's also very strong for his size and can get to the rim when it's needed.
This is a 4 yr PG which we definitely need for this class.

[RainingThrees]

thanks man.

[bozz03]

if you have access to rivals, there's a good article about Tyler on there and what he thinks of Duke and how important he actually is to the '10 class.

[yancem]

Yancem, it was very late.......:confused:

Been there done that:)

[mgtr]

Tyler would be a vitale piece to the '10 class.

Does this mean he will be a "diaper dandy" or maybe even a "prime-time player"?
Sorry to jump on a typo, but I just couldn't resist this one.

[speedevil]

Don't forget that we will have Miles and Mason Plumlee still on the team. Both are in the 6'10" range and should have decent bulk by then. Both are also pretty athletic. It's yet to be seen exactly how good they will be but they should be able to play the center position just fine.

just because they are 6"10 doesnt mean that they are centers.

singler is 6'7 -6'8 and he logged minutes at the center position

[yancem]

just because they are 6"10 doesnt mean that they are centers.

singler is 6'7 -6'8 and he logged minutes at the center position

What position would you play them then? Yes, 6'10" doesn't necessarily mean you have to play center, McRoberts played PF his freshman year but that was because we had Shelden Williams. He moved to center his sophomore season. If Zoubek is healthy then either Plumlee brother could play the PF at times, but they are both 6'10" +/- and from what I have read, have or will have the strength to play in the middle. They (mostly Mason from what I hear) may float out to the perimeter on offense and take some jump shots but that doesn't mean they aren't/can't play center. Laettner played center and he took a lot of outside shots. As did Parks. Of course you have to make the outside shots to be effective but that has nothing to do with what position you play.

As for Singler logging minutes at the center position, I don't get your point. Zoubek was the only guy taller than him on the team last year and was injured most of the season. Are you saying you consider Singler a center?

[watzone]

So much for returning the thread to it's intended subject matter;)

[mcdukie]

To get back to the intended point of this thread, Thornton would be a good fit for the Duke system. He is a pass first point guard with a great feel for the game. The word is that normally you wait to see if you get a Brandon Knight before offering another point in that class but it is known that he is good friends with Josh Hairston and this could help land both. He plays for probably the best 16 and under AAU team in the country and his high school team is very good and very well coached. Don't get me wrong, he would be a good get.

[kramerbr]

Who is one player that Tyler could be compared to? In regards to his skillset and style of play?

[skitelz]

he reminds me of duhon, but i could be alone on that thought.

[DDB4208]

I haven't seen him play but I found a short paragraph online describing his game in case anyone is interested.
------------------
Tyler Thornton

Shooting Guard, 6′2, class of 2010

Top Interest: Georgetown, Duke, Villanova, Wake Forest, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia

Strong Point: Quick footwork and hands.

Area of Improvement: More hustle would lead to more second chances.

The Skinny:

A powerful guard with a crisp shot from outside, and quick footwork helps this star get noticed the most. Thornton’s defense is intense and his pick-pocket ability leads to easy transition not just for him but his entire team. Tyler is a team player that will not hesitate to involve all four players around him on the offensive front. Thornton also has an incredible leaping ability which proved he could get rim and also block a shot from the oppositions small forward. Thornton also is a finisher and hardly commits turnovers with his sound, methodic ball-handling skills.

He said it:

“I think everybody can add something to their game, and I’m learning new things every day that I can bring to mine.”
------------
That was from the site below. I am not sure what date it was posted.
http://w3.nbebasketball.com/index.php/dc-assault-aau-tournament-day-one/#more-2114

[DukeVu]

Thorton is a solid looking four year player who would benefit ANY team. I say get him.

[ice-9]

He's listed as a shooting guard?

[heyman25]

I have read we are in a heated recruiting battle with Georgetown for Thornton and Hairston. I just hope we don't lose any ground while Coach K is in Beijing. Nothing Duke can do but wait and hope these 2 prospects don't get lured by playing in DC instead of Durham

[Devilsfan]

How does he compare to Boyton? Was he offered for any other reason?

[DDB4208]

He is a point guard and Kenny Boynton is a shooting guard. Kenny Boynton is a year ahead of Thornton and was our number 1 recruit for 2009. I think that Boynton is a lot better than Thornton, but both would be great recruits to land.

[watzone]

I talked with Tyler about his upcoming visit, which is tomorrow last evening. Tyler is a team oriented, hard nosed player that helped lead his team to the state title last year. As you will see, he is tight with Josh Hairston who is also visiting and he describes his game in his own words for those who have never seen his game.

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=1010

[BlueintheFace]

Oh watzone, how we all love you. Never leave us.

[Devilsfan]

Any word on how last night dinner went?

[gotham devil]

Very solid article

He's done well in matchups against his fellow 2010 pg, UNC commit Kendall Marshall.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Great article. I'm curious what he meant by this comment that he wanted:

“A great coaching staff - somewhere I could be myself and spend four years. Somewhere where I won’t feel like I have to transfer to another schools if I’m not doing well with the team. I just want to be happy for four years during my college career.”

To me, this sounds like it could be a shot at the MT/Boat/Boykin/TKing transfer problem we've had, but I a) wasn't there for the interview, b) am not up on other school's transfers and c) I'm paranoid about how other teams recruit against us. Any idea what that meant?

[jimsumner]

Devil,

I think you're right. You are paranoid. :)

Every school loses players. Duke actually has a fairly high retention rate.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Devil,

I think you're right. You are paranoid. :)

Every school loses players. Duke actually has a fairly high retention rate.

No doubt. The comment just struck me as odd and I wasn't sure how else to interpret it. Did he just mean "a good fit where I'll be comfortable" and said it a weird way? Is there some other school on his list with a lot of recent big-man transfers? Didn't mean to suggest anything, I was just confused and curious if others understood better.

[mo.st.dukie]

Great article. I'm curious what he meant by this comment that he wanted:

“A great coaching staff - somewhere I could be myself and spend four years. Somewhere where I won’t feel like I have to transfer to another schools if I’m not doing well with the team. I just want to be happy for four years during my college career.”

To me, this sounds like it could be a shot at the MT/Boat/Boykin/TKing transfer problem we've had, but I a) wasn't there for the interview, b) am not up on other school's transfers and c) I'm paranoid about how other teams recruit against us. Any idea what that meant?

Georgetown lost Rivers and Macklin to transfers this offseason and I'm sure the other schools on his list have lost transfers in the last few years. It's a common thing in college basketball.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Cool. Then just a general statement on wanting a good fit. I'm a much calmer paranoid now.:)

Thanks again for the interview, Wat.

[Skitzle]

It may also be worth noting that watzone is on record saying he interviews recruits as a national outlet and not as a Duke homer. As a result, it'd be tough to see how Thorton could direct the transfer comment at Duke specifically.

[Uncle Drew]

Thanks Wat for posting the link, doing the leg work, the writing etc. From his description of how he plays it sounds like he plays Duke basketball already and would be a great addition. If we can get him in a Duke Jersey (especially with a close buddy) things sound more than promising. I will just have to get therapy to reprogram my brain from thinking of the name "Tyler" as a bad thing. Thank God we aren't recruiting any Deans or Roys. Thanks again Watzone.

[dukemomLA]

Thank you Watzone for all you do for DBR!!! We can't thank you enough, over and over again.

As to TYLER -- come on down. I can't imagine that you don't read this website -- the best on the planet. So....is there any reason to not commit to Duke University (one of the most prestigious) and to Duke basketball (the envy of all), and to life on the Duke campus (most beautiful and exciting in the country), or to learning with Coach K and staff??? Boy, you're crazy if you don't run your butt over to Durham.

(Will I get sanctioned for saying butt? Wanted to say pottymouth!pottymouth!pottymouth!...but....ookay probably a sanction)

[BlueintheFace]

From what I am reading about Tyler Thornton, he is not really a true point guard... more of a scoring guard. In addition he supposedly does not have a good 3 point shot. I hate to sound skeptical, but is this really what we need in our point guard?

[gotham devil]

From what I am reading about Tyler Thornton, he is not really a true point guard... more of a scoring guard. In addition he supposedly does not have a good 3 point shot. I hate to sound skeptical, but is this really what we need in our point guard?
Please...maybe you ought to watch the kid play or find more reliable sources of reading material.

Today:
18-Thornton, a pure point guard who simply wins ballgames, locks down his opponents and keeps his teammates happy, but can put points on the board if needed.

http://slamonline.com/online/2008/09/the-slam-fresh-25-2010/

[BlueintheFace]

Well that sounds much better.

[jimsumner]

Are you perhaps confusing Thornton and Boynton? KB is a scoring lead guard, as much a 2 as a 1. Thornton is a pure, pass-first point. In fact, he's sometimes criticized for not looking for his shot.

[BlueintheFace]

No, just more ESPN stupidity I suppose...

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?page=evaluation&recruitId=44104&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb %2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3fpage%3devaluati on%26recruitId%3d44104

[kramerbr]

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2381

[SupaDave]

He's one of our least talked about recruits so I thought I'd give Tyler some spotlight. He's been having a very good summer and something tells me he's gonna end up a lot higher in the rankings than a lot of folks thought...

There's a blurb on him in this Slam article...

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/07/road-trip/

The comparison to Wojo is especially compelling...

[dyedwab]

...sounds like a great description of a kid who could be a fan favorite....

...awesome....good luck to Tyler next year and I look forward to him coming to Cameron after that.