[private]This weekend could eventually prove to be fruitful for Duke Basketball as two top notch uncommitted prospects are ready to head a few hours south for unofficial visits.  One of those prospects is PG Tyler Thornton who plays his high school ball for Gonzaga in D.C. and his AAU ball for DC Assault.

BDNP caught up with Tyler as he prepared for school the next day and of course his pending visit to Durham.  He will be down with his parents from Saturday until Monday, which will give them the opportunity to get a feel for the campus, program and classroom atmosphere.

When asked of his Duke recruitment, Thornton stated, "Coach Wojo has been in touch the most, but I've been in contact with all the assistants."  He stated that he was excited to get to see the campus again and be there with friends.

"I look forward to hanging out with the guys, Andre, Josh and Mason - just to hang out with them will be good."  Thornton is very good friends with Hairston, the two talking frequently on the phone.  "Josh is one of my best friends, I've spent the whole spring and summer with him - every weekend, every week.  We have a tight bond with each other, especially on the court.  I know where to get him the ball - where he likes to get the ball - how he likes to get the ball."

He stated that he would like to play with Josh if possible.  Well, it is possible and just Duke and Georgetown are on both youngsters list.  "It would be nice to play with each other in college. 

When asked of what he looked for in a school, he stated, "A great coaching staff  - somewhere I could be myself and spend four years.  Somewhere where I won't feel like I have to transfer to another schools if I'm not doing well with the team.  I just want to be happy for four years during my college career."

Like Hairston, Thornton maintains that he will make a decision before his high school season, but he did say it was possible he might make an early choice, but that he felt he would wait and sit down and talk it over with his parents before making a decision public.  "We can't be too quick to jump, we have to come back home and talk about it and analyze the situation.  We will just wait until that time comes to let the world know."

I asked Thornton to describe his game in his on words for people that haven't seen him play.  He responds, "A leader, a person who loves to hustle, unselfish on the offensive end.  I never get mad when I don't get the ball or get a certain amount of shots during a game.  I just love to win - a person who plays with a passion and does anything he can to help his team win."

Thornton stated that his high school team had one of their greatest teams in their history, winning every tournament they faced going 34-1 and taking the title.  Despite losing the leading scorer and half of the team, Thornton still plans on doing it again.  One thing that is obvious when talking to Thorton, he is a competitor. 

His list going into the weekend is Duke, Stanford, Villanova and Georgetown.

We will have Thornton's thoughts after the visit on Blue Devil Nation Premium.  This article is but a small sample of the current information overload that awaits you as a member.  Currently up is a talk with Josh Hairston on the eve of his visit and an extrememly informative recruiting and team update.[/private]