Derryck Thornton to transfer to USC

Former Duke point guard Derryck Thornton, arguably the hottest commodity on the transfer market, has elected to transfer to USC, according to Josh Gershon of Scout.

Thornton, who spent just one season with the Blue Devils, averaged 7.1 points and 2.6 assists in 26 minutes per game last year. He'll be forced to sit out the 2016-17 season, per NCAA transfer rules, but will have three seasons of eligibility waiting for him, beginning 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 Gershon of his son's decision to pick the Trojans. "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."

Along with USC, Thornton was thought to be a top transfer target of Kansas.

The one-time five-star recruit made visits to the Trojans and Jayhawks, as well as to Washington and Miami, before making his decision.

Thornton said when he transferred out of Duke that he wanted to play closer to home, and while the interest in Kansas raised some eyebrows, the Chatsworth, Ca., native is ultimately settling about an hour away from his hometown.

Thornton's commitment comes as a massive haul to Enfield and USC, who are looking to build off a season in which the program made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2011.

Although Thornton won't be available this season, and USC still has to cope with the losses of several key veterans from last year's roster - including Julian Jacobs, Nikola Jovanovic, and Katin Reinhardt - the arrival of a former top recruit signifies the rise of the Trojans on a national level.

To the Trojans, Thornton will bring play-making abilities as a true point guard, strong defense, a high basketball IQ, and scoring potential. If it all works out the way Thornton hopes, the 6-foot-2 ball-handler could represent USC at the next level some day.

"Andy being a skill development guy in the NBA, (assistant) Jason Hart being a former NBA player, the style of play being uptempo and the Pac-12 producing so many pros, Derryck thought it was the best fit for who he was as a player," said Thornton Sr.