On Sunday, Duke announced that freshman guard Derryck Thornton will transfer from the program. Thornton said he wanted to play closer to his home in California.
That same day, the Ducks landed 4-star JUCO transfer Kavell Bigby-Williams, who will suit up next season for the Ducks. Is there any chance Altman could go after another transfer?
Unlike Bigby-Williams, Thornton would have to sit out the 2016-17 season. So is there any room for him on the roster? If everything goes smoothly, the Ducks will still have Casey Benson, Tyler Dorsey and Kendall Small. Adding another guard to the roster could make things a little crowded, especially since Altman only plucks a couple guys off his bench to the rotation. Things went pretty well with Benson and Dorsey this year, and while Dillon Brooks is listed as a forward, he's often used more as a guard.
Thornton started 20 games for the Blue Devils last year, averaging 7.1 points and 2.6 assists per game. Duke is bringing in five-star guard Frank Jackson, who likely would've given Thornton a run for his money for the starting point guard job.
Thornton does have a connection to the Ducks roster. Back in fifth grade, Thornton played AAU ball with Tyler Dorsey. Both Dorsey and Thornton are from the Los Angeles area.
Is there room for Thornton on the roster for the 2017-18 season? Probably not. But then again, you never know who will be around in two years or what tricks Altman could work to find a spot for the five-star guard. There hasn't been much early news about where he could go next, but hey, Oregon is geographically close to California so we're just gonna run with this.