KU Basketball Recruiting Rumors: Derryck Thornton Could be Answer for Jayhawks

KU basketball recruiting rumors have Bill Self pursuing former Duke guard Derryck Thornton as a possible answer at point guard for the Jayhawks after Frank Mason III graduates.

Derryck Thornton is leaving Duke, and the Kansas Jayhawks are one of four schools that are still in the running. According to USA Today, Thornton is leaving Duke because he wants to play closer to his home, which is Nevada.

The talented guard, whom ESPN ranked as the third best point guard in the 2015 recruiting class, might just be a great fit for Kansas, who will be losing Frank Mason after the 2016-2017 season.

Now, Bill Self and his staff need to convince Thornton that Kansas would be his best bet. They are by far the biggest name school on his list of candidates, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

Duke transfer Derryck Thornton is down to USC, Washington, Miami and Kansas, his father confirms to ESPN. https://t.co/qbFBYSIdJw
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 20, 2016

The interesting school still on that list is Miami, which is farther away from Nevada than Duke. If Thornton is indeed leaving because of the reasons publically stated, Miami shouldn’t even be on his list.

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This leads us to some speculation. Is that the real reason Thornton is leaving the Blue Devils’ program? Did he not get along with legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski?

Of course, no one is speaking out of turn on this subject, but it might be something to consider.

Will playing for Bill Self be any easier than lacing them up for Coach K? Don’t count on it! Self needs to make sure he is not going after a player who might cause problems down the road.

Again, this is just a little bit of reading between the lines. There may have been no issues between Coach K and Thornton, and Thornton may just need to be closer to home to feel comfortable.

Regardless, Self and assistant coach Jerrance Howard did visit Thornton on Monday, according to 247 Sports.

Thornton will have to sit out next season if he transfers to Kansas, in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. The Jayhawks are deep at guard for next season with Mason, Devonte’ Graham, star recruit Josh Jackson, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and Legerald Vick.

Mason will use up his remaining eligibility next season, and Jackson and Mykhailiuk might jump to the NBA, leaving a big opening for minutes at Kansas for the right guard.

Thornton could be that guard. He averaged 26 minutes for the Blue Devils last season while scoring 7.1 points and dishing out 2.5 assists per outing. He needs some work on his shooting, as he hit just 39 percent of his field goal attempts as a freshman.

ESPN offered this scouting report when he was a recruit in 2015:

"Thornton is a rangy point guard prospect who plays with poise, advances the ball well in transition, and converts buckets efficiently in the paint area with either hand. He has very good vision while locating open teammates as well. Thornton has really improved his athleticism…"

He could offer the Jayhawks experience, in a similar playing atmosphere, and fill a need at a key position where that experience could prove invaluable.

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The KU basketball recruiting rumors continue to heat up, not only for next season but the 2017-2018 season as well. There is no rest for Coach Self and his staff as they work to maintain the level of excellence associated with the Kansa sJayhawks.

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