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Gonzaga Basketball: Is Derryck Thornton missing piece for Bulldogs in 2019-20?

By Tristan Freeman

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 25: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and his team celebrate with the trophy after their 83 to 59 win over the Xavier Musketeers during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 25, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 25: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and his team celebrate with the trophy after their 83 to 59 win over the Xavier Musketeers during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 25, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Derryck Thornton is set to visit Gonzaga Basketball this week. How big of a commitment would this be if he picks the Bulldogs?

When Josh Perkins graduated from Gonzaga Basketball, it was pretty clear that the program would look to the transfer market to find his replacement. The Bulldogs already found a talented guard in Admon Gilder to replace the outgoing Zach Norvell but still needed to look for a ball handler. There aren’t that many worth a scholarship for the WCC powerhouse in the portal but that changed with Derryck Thornton getting involved.

The former five-star recruit had a great initial start at Duke before falling to the bench and out of favor. He transferred out west to USC, sitting out a year before averaging 7.7 ppg and 4.3 apg in 28 mpg and 27 starts this past season. There were a lot of factors in the Trojans struggles this year but Thornton should shoulder some of the blame as a starter.

He might not be as good as his initial college projections but if you take away the five-stars, Thornton is a solid NCAA Basketball player. The 6’3 guard is a good defender and athlete and has three years of experience against some of the best players in the collegiate game.

Related Story. Analysis Derryck Thornton's transfer options. light

He’s already gone on a visit to Boston College and is set to come to Spokane. Possible future visits to St. John’s, Auburn and Texas Tech are also on the table as well for the graduate transfer. All have a need for a point guard, particularly the Bulldogs.

Along with Gilder and rising junior Corey Kispert, the addition of Thornton would provide Mark Few and the coaching staff an experienced perimeter set of players with unique skill sets. Kispert and Gilder’s ability to shoot also covers up Thornton’s offensive weaknesses. He’s a career 38% shooter overall and has just 52 total made three-pointers. However, the passing and defense he provides, along with the assumed development from a top-notch coaching staff makes this a great potential rental pickup.

And even if Thornton doesn’t improve on his own statistically, the Bulldogs should have enough collective offense. If Killian Tillie returns, he has a great shot at being a 20 ppg scorer and WCC Player of the Year candidate next year. There’s also a top-15 recruiting class filled with multiple four-star players with NBA potential who should make an immediate impact. It might not be at the caliber of the 2016 Duke team but it’s certainly better than the previous USC squads.

Gonzaga wants a senior point guard to not alienate Jalen Suggs, a top-10 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. The Bulldogs are one of the favorites to land the five-star point guard and didn’t want to bring in a multi-year player. Top-50 recruits Dominick Harris and Julian Strawther all already committed and will form the future backcourt for the program once the upperclassmen depart.

Next. Top early class of 2020 commitments. dark

If Thornton chooses the Bulldogs, it would be a win-win for both parties, with the team getting a good and experienced athlete while the player gets to play in a winning environment one last time in college. It’s not a foregone conclusion that he will pick Gonzaga when it’s decision time but it is also a very hard option to turn down.