DT was named MVP of Top 100 Camp Championship Game. Led camp in assists as well. This kid is simply amazing, he has every tool you want from a PG. Some footage in the link below
2016 G @DerryckThornton was named MVP of the NBA Top 100 championship game and also was the overall assists leader
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 22, 2014
The only thing I can ask from Derryck at this point is A) keep working on his jumper, so Beilein will have less to coach you on if you go to Michigan and B) stop being so obviously amazing to other coaches.
Just a matter of time before he is ranked #1 PG by some of the services.
DT is every coaches dream, he has elite change of direction and court vision, good speed and lateral movement, finishes well with both hands in traffic, when he passes he puts his finishers in position where they don’t have to dribble - just simply catch and elevate. I have to say, I’ve never been more excited for potentially adding a recruit to Michigan in the past 5-7 years.
For everyone’s enjoyment (from the championship game in the Top 100 Camp):
Yeah I want Thornton more than any recruit in a very long time
He’s making it really really hard to keep my excitement and expectations low.
Kid is a Chris Paul-Mike Conley type. Only thing needed is obvious physical maturation.
Can’t wait to see what the Thornton’s say about UK on Monday, though. He seemed to have chemistry with UK lean Cheick Diallo, AAU teammate of Tyus Battle.
UM is assured a fall visit no matter what so that is very reassuring 
A lot of the people on this board are setting themselves up for disappointment if Derryck doesn’t end up picking UM. I want him as much as you guys but I’m gonna be cautiously optimistic until pen meets paper. We are going up against the blue bloods and that rarely ends in our favor.
A lot of the people on this board are setting themselves up for disappointment if Derryck doesn't end up picking UM. I want him as much as you guys but I'm gonna be cautiously optimistic until pen meets paper. We are going up against the blue bloods and that rarely ends in our favor.
I at least am acknowledging I’m setting myself up for disappointment. However, it’s really hard not to get stoked when a kid says he almost committed when offered, and we have seen his skill on display.
Thornton got his Kentucky offer tonight during his visit.
Probably just a timing thing, but Thornton was the first PG in the 2016 class that Kentucky offered.
I think UK is gaining steam with Thornton, Dad is saying package with DT/Battle is the goal. If it’s a package deal, I don’t like our chances with either. I don’t think Battle is coming here, plain and simple.
Tyler Ullis is a 4 year player (meaning 2 years of backup PG for DTJR) and Devin Booker and Charles Matthews are 3 year guys (meaning potentially 3 years as a bench guy for Battle). Good luck.
I think we are running second to UK for Battle so I could see him coming here.
Even if being generous and assuming Ullis is a 3 year guy, Walton would have to be a 4 year guy to make it even ground. Unlikely.
Isn’t it hard to project who is a 3 year guy or 4 year guy when they haven’t even stepped on a court at this level? Everyone talks a good game at this package deal stuff. It rarely happens. UM has their own ties with the elder Thornton. Hard to get too worked up yet when this one will go into the winter. I am more encouraged by the quotes from the kid post UM offer than post UK offer. He wanted to pledge when Beilein offered. If there is a quote from Derryck about Kentucky than I haven’t seen it. I think Derryck likes UM more and the battle in regards to Kentucky will be how serious this package deal thing is when rubber meets the road.
If you can find me a 5’9’’ 150 lb PG who has declared early, I’ll be sure to reconsider.
I agree with with Guestavo and thanks for the clarification. UK is going to have limited minutes. With the twins staying I think it pushed Booker into year 3, not that booker won’t play just limited his time. Not sure how UK can satisfy the needs of so many players…hopefully it works in UM’s favor. I just don’t see that much talent sitting on the bench at UK.
Whether that is what happens or not, you know Coach Cal, the snake oil salesman, is telling all of his recruits that everyone will be going pro and there will be starting spots and plenty of PT available
And for whatever reason the recruits eat up everything he says
Thornton is making a return trip to UK for Big Blue Madness, which is after Thornton’s Oct. visit to UM (most likely for PSU football game). This is not trending well in my opinion, but we’ll have to let it play out. Whether we like it or not, UK is the offer, much the same way a UM offer was the offer from 92-98. UK is the it school right now…they have the swagger, attitude, environment, exposure, fan base, NBA potential and on court production that all these kids crave. It’s just something we have to deal with, and realistically we’re not going to win many of these battles. Truth is these kids prefer a UK offer to a UM offer any day of the week. It may not hold true for every recruit (crossing my fingers with DT), but let’s face it, that is the most coveted offer available in college basketball.
Derryck Thornton's UK visit was such a success, he will return for Big Blue Madness in October. #BBN
— Chris Fisher (@ChrisFisher247) June 23, 2014
It was said elsewhere on the board, and I agree, that UK is a validating offer for recruits. If you want to make it to the league, a UK offer is a sign that you have what it takes to get there. Then the question becomes where do you go to prepare. The issue after reading UK’s pitch to Thornton, is it’s frustratingly good if that’s all the message you hear. “We’ll get you to the league, but nothing will be given to you. You will be expected to work hard.” whether or not that’s accurate to what happens is another matter entirely. (Edit: my quotes are my paraphrasing)
Obviously UK entering the fray is not good for UM in general, but I think I’m going to talk myself off the edge here a little bit. There was talk of a Battle/Thornton package deal to UM after their visit here, same with Kentucky. There was talk of an on day commitment from Thornton, and how much more UM had to do to get his commitment, I didn’t hear the same types of details in post-UK visit articles.
The best case scenario is probably still that UK takes another PG before Thornton makes his decision, but we obviously can’t count on that. Lets hope the staff keep pushing and that his return visit for (likely) the PSU football game blows him away.