BASKETBALL RECRUITING
Thornton Sr. said, in preparation for
two more years of high school before
he gets to college.
There had been some talk that
Michigan had faded a bit. It's not ac‑
curate, Thornton Sr. said, noting the
Big Ten had changed dramatically
thanks in part to coaches like Beilein
and was extremely attractive.
"He really spreads things out,"
Thornton Sr. said of Beilein. "It's so
much different than it was five years
ago in the Big Ten. Kids like my son,
the way he plays in space — that's a
great fit."
But not the only possible fit. Lou‑
isville, Kentucky, Duke, UNLV and
several others have made Thornton a
priority, and they all have something
to offer. Thornton Sr., though, main‑
tains consistent contact with the Mich‑
igan staff, noting he has spoken with
Beilein, and assistants LaVall Jordan
and Jeff Meyer (for whom he played
at Liberty University in the 1990s) re‑
cently. They have a track record of
putting players in the NBA, he noted,
but just as importantly, their approach
in mentoring kids into men and the
academics will be factors when it's
time to decide.
The Thorntons planned to visit
Kentucky for Midnight Madness in
October, but were forced to resched‑
ule. They were at UCLA Oct. 10 and
planned to see Duke this fall after
Thornton Jr. picked up a Blue Devils
offer.
Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep point guard Derryck Thornton Jr., Rivals.com's No. 9 junior
nationally, plans to visit Michigan this year.
PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM
