USC adds Duke transfer Derryck Thornton Jr.

Former Duke guard Derryck Thornton Jr. will transfer to USC.

Thornton, who played one season at Duke, will have to sit out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years of eligibility remaining starting in 2017-18.

“He really got along with (associate head coach) Tony Bland, (head coach Andy) Enfield and the whole staff,” Derryck Thornton, Sr. told Scout.com “He liked all four staffs but it was really the trust level at USC with Bland and the staff and the comfort of being home.”

While at Duke last season Thornton, 6-foot-2, played in all 36 games and started in 20 contests. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.8 assists per game.

Thornton Jr. reportedly had his list of schools narrowed down to USC and Kansas.

Written by Adam Zagoria

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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.