With the regular season in the books and tournament season right around the corner, The Blue Zone will review the seasons of all the Blue Devils, beginning with the freshmen Tuesday and ending with the seniors Thursday.
Tyler Thornton
- Year: Junior
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Position: guard
- This year's stat line: 3.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 21.9 MPG
- The Blue Zone's projected stat line: 4.5 PPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG
Season breakdown: Thornton has held the same role he did last year: defensive stopper whose production doesn't necessarily show up on the stat sheet. He began the year starting but was quickly overtaken by Quinn Cook, who quickly established himself as one of the premier point guards in the ACC. That was no discredit to Thornton, just a testament to Cook's growth as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Thornton still regularly plays 20 minutes per game and started the regular season finale against North Carolina over Rasheed Sulaimon.
Perhaps Thornton's best game of the year was the first game against North Carolina, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown while also making a few key passes and hustle plays. But the junior isn't counted on to score, rather play tough defense and frustrate opponents—he's making just 37.2% of his field goals. But he's a physical defender, averaging 2.7 fouls per game in just 21.9 minutes per game. He's also picking up 1.3 steals per game in his limited minutes.
Role for the rest of the season: The first question for Thornton going forward is: Will he start? He started in the finale against North Carolina while Sulaimon logged just 15 minutes. There's no questioning, however, that 'Sheed brings far more to the table offensively than Thornton can. Was 'Sheed's benching a one game thing? Was it to get the freshman motivated for postseason play? Or was it a sign of permanent change for the rest of the season?
We don't have the answers to these questions yet, but the important thing for Thornton is that he will regularly play regardless of whether or not he starts. He can be counted on for 20 minutes of action as a starter or as a reserve, though his offensive deficiencies get exposed more as he plays more. At the same time, his defensive aggression is unparalleled and can be key against opponents with strong perimeter play.
Results relative to expectations: The great thing about Thornton is you know what you're going to get. Like last year—when he lifted Duke past Kansas in the Maui Invitational—Thornton had one clutch game this year, against UNC. And in every other game, he is a consistent defender and smart ball-handler, even if he can't push the rock the way Cook can.
In case you missed it, we’ve already reviewed: Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy, Marshall Plumlee
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.