Tyler Thornton recruitment

[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.ph...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.