Findlay Prep grad Derryck Thornton sparks USC win over Arizona

Southern California coach Andy Enfield raved about junior point guard Derryck Thornton after drawing a simple conclusion about his value to the Trojans.

“Derryck’s had a year where when he plays well, we’re tough to beat,” Enfield said Tuesday. “And when he struggles, our team struggles.”

Well, he played well against Arizona on Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.

Sure enough, the Trojans won.

Thornton, who played two years at Findlay Prep and a year at Duke, scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and added three steals as a reserve to spark a 78-65 victory over the Wildcats in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.

The Trojans (16-16) advanced to play regular-season champion Washington on Thursday.

“I tried to approach every game like any other one,” Thornton said. “It’s fun to be back home. But the mission, we’re trying to obtain a mission to win the Pac-12 and keep on advancing.”

Thornton arrived in 2013 to Findlay Prep by way of Woodland Hills, California, and blossomed into a five-star recruit as one of the country’s top point guards. He signed with Duke in time for the 2015-16 season and averaged 7.1 points and 2.5 assists even as his minutes decreased throughout the season.

So he transferred to USC in 2016, sat out 2016-17, and emerged this season as a key cog in the Trojans’ rotation after playing a backup role last season.

He’s averaging 7.7 points and a team-high 4.4 assists in 27.9 minutes.

“This year, it’s been an adjustment, and Derryck’s had some very, very good games for us,” Enfield said “He’s improved as a player. He’s an excellent on-ball defender. He’s a tough kid. He plays very hard. We’re looking for him to have a big tournament.”

Enfield called 0n Thornton midway through the first half against Arizona (17-15), and he promptly responded with back-to-back baskets to force a timeout. He continued to invigorate USC throughout the second half on both ends of the court.

“I tried to focus on playing as hard as I can and just forcing the issue and trying to help our team win any way I can,” he said. “Today it was defense.”

Embattled Arizona coach Sean Miller praised the Trojans in his postgame news conference, and declined to comment on his future with the program.

Meanwhile, Thornton’s homecoming continues.

“All he cares about is winning,” said Findlay Prep coach Rodney Haddix, who worked as an assistant during Thornton’s tenure with the Pilots. “Everything he does, he tries to do it so he can win basketball games. Score. Pass. Defend. … He’s a huge competitor.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.