NCAA Basketball Recruiting: USC transfer Derryck Thornton picks BC over Gonzaga

Former USC Trojan Derryck Thornton finally makes his choice on his final NCAA Basketball destinatio.

NCAA Basketball transfer Derryck Thornton is heading to Boston College, according to Adam Zagoria of ZAGSBLOG.  Thornton, who was ranked as the 21st grad transfer by ESPN, picked the BC over Gonzaga.

“Education and style of play,” Tank Thornton, Derryck’s father, said in a phone interview. “A Master’s from Boston College is a beautiful thing. And style of play. They play through their point guards and we’ve been looking for that since he left high school.”

Thornton visited BC in March and also visited Gonzaga.  Texas Tech, Auburn and St. John’s were reportedly in the mix as well.

This will be Thornton’s third stop after beginning his career at Duke. The 6’3 point guard put up career numbers for USC last season, averaging 7.7 points along with 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 27.8 minutes of action. He shot 38.2% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.

The Los Angeles native is expected to take over the starting point guard spot that Ky Bowman, who has departed for the NBA draft, held last year. The Eagles now have five point guards on the roster after signing 2019 recruits Jay Heath Jr. and Amani “Mook” Harris. Senior Matt DiLuccio and junior Samuel Holtze are walk-ons.

BC finished last season a disappointing 14-17, 5-13 in the ACC. While the Eagles must replace two of their top four scorers from last year, they will have the services of senior Niko Popovic (14.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) along with sophomore Wynston Tabbs (13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.7 apg) however.

Kerry Blackshear Jr. to officially visit Kentucky starting Tuesday night

Virginia Tech transfer Kerry Blackshear will take an official visit to Kentucky, starting in the evening on June 18, per Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers. The visit to Lexington will be Blackshear’s fourth official campus visit since announcing his intention to transfer as he has also visited Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida. Coach Buzz Williams, who was Blackshear’s coach at Tech, is reportedly still trying to bring Blackshear in for a visit at Texas A&M.

So, what does a visit with the Wildcats mean? Perhaps it means that Blackshear is closing in on a decision. Weingarten said there is high mutual interest between both parties, which is no surprise. Kentucky remains my favorite to land the 6’10 forward.

Turkish guard to join the Yale  in 2020

The Yale Bulldogs reeled in one of the best young players from Turkey with a commitment from Emir Buyukhanli on June 17. Called “One of Turkey’s top 5 players born in 2001,” by Tamer Turkman, who advises Turkish players, the 6’5 combo guard will join the program in 2020 as he will attend St. Thomas More next year as a post-graduate.

The 18-year-old has a good strong body and is quick. He is a slasher who shines on the defensive end and is a quality passer as well as a solid ball-handler. Buyukhanli averaged 15.5 points last season playing for Turkish club team Ted Ankara Kolejliler.

Yale, which went 22-8 last season, reached the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years. The Bulldogs return three of their top five players from a year ago in 2019-20.

Top JUCO prospect stands out at Team USA Training Camp

Jayden Scrubb has shined during the first few days at U19 USA Basketball training camp. The 6’6 wing, who is ranked as the top 2020 JUCO prospect by 247Sports, had a fantastic year at John A. Logan College last year as he produced 19.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 54.9% from the field, 46.4% (51 of 110) from beyond the arc and 79.1% from the charity stripe. As a result of his performance, he earned first-team All-American honors and was named Player of the Year in Region 24.

The Louisville (KY) native is one of 31 players trying to make Team USA’s 12-man roster.  Training camp for the squad, which is coached by Kansas State’s Bruce Weber, runs from June 15-24.

Scrubb is athletic and versatile. He likes to attack the rim off the bounce and finishes well. He can score from the interior and outside. Scrubb is also a ferocious defender who can guard all five positions.

Louisville is the overwhelming favorite to gain his recruitment next year. He also holds offers from Kansas State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Xavier, Texas Tech and Wichita State. Scrubb reportedly is also very interested in  Cincinnati, Oregon, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Memphis.

Other recruiting tidbits

• 247Sports top 300 2020 prospect Zed Key (Glen Head, NY) picked up a handful of offers including BC, South Florida, TCU, Rhode Island, Pitt, and Charlotte on June 17. The 6’8 power forward now reportedly holds 24 scholarships.
• 2021 shooting guard Bryce McGowens (Piedmont, SC) will take an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech on June 18. He is also slated to visit Xavier on June 21. McGowens reportedly holds 12 offers, including one from Pitt — where his brother Trey plays — but does not possess a scholarship from Virginia Tech yet.

• 2021 6’2 point guard Yerald Mieses (Dominican Republic) received his first scholarship from Illinois on June 17.
• James Madison became the first program to offer 2021 6’6 wing Thomas Whitley (Greenbelt, MD).
• 2019 combo guard Nahiem Alleyne (Lawrenceville, GA) committed to Virginia Tech on June 16. Originally slated to be in the class of 2020, Alleyne picked Virginia Tech over USF, VCU, and Nebraska.