With Tyus Jones widely expected to declare for the NBA Draft within days, there seems to be at least some chance Duke won’t wait until the 2016-17 season to bring in Jones’ successor at point guard. 

According to Scout.com and various other recruiting reports, the national champion Blue Devils along with Louisville and Arizona are positioning themselves to strike quickly if Nevada-based junior playmaker Derryck (Tank) Thornton opts to leave school early, sign a scholarship and begin his college career in 2015-16. 

A native Californian, Thornton averaged 17 points and six assists per game in ’14-’15 for Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev. A 6-foot-2, 175 pounder, Thornton has the grades and credits for early graduation and reportedly has told some teammates that he’s giving the move some thought. 

Duke doesn’t have an immediately identifiable candidate to start at the point if Jones, a freshman, does leave.  The most likely candidates likely will be freshman Grayson Allen (6-4, 195) and sophomore Matt Jones (6-5, 210), neither of whom has college experience at the position. 

Duke is believed to be among the leaders for Thornton and a second highly-rated junior point – Fayetteville Trinity Christian’s Dennis Smith Jr., a 6-1, 175 pounder, who has also expressed interest in Arizona and Louisville in addition to N.C. State, UNC and Wake Forest. 

The logical assumption is that if Thornton does enter college this year, picks Duke and doesn’t show the pop of a one-and-doner, Smith would drop Duke from his list of schools. 

There’s another side to this connect-the-dots scenario, too.  Smith and Kinston High wingman Brandon Ingram, a senior, are close friends and have hinted they wouldn’t be averse playing on the same team in college.  Some of the recruiting authorities believe Duke is first among equals on Ingram's list, which includes Carolina, State, Kentucky and Kansas. 

Ingram’s father, Donald, told The Kinston Free Press in late February that former Carolina and Kinston standout Jerry Stackhouse is advising the family during the recruiting process but said Stackhouse is not pushing them toward the Tar Heels. 

Tar Heel fans have hoped for the past 24 or so hours that junior starter J.P. Tokoto’s decision to leave for the NBA draft might increase Ingram’s interest in Carolina. 

Tokoto’s former wing-guard job will be up for grabs with veterans Marcus Paige (6-2), Joel Berry (6-1), Nate Britt (6-1), Theo Pinson (6-6) and possibly Justin Jackson (6-8) among the candidates.  Paige, a junior, has been a career point starter and Jackson started at small forward as a freshman in ‘14-‘15. 

For now, the Heels’ only signed recruit is 6-8 Luke Maye of Hough High in the Charlotte area.  Ingram is generally ranked among the top 10 high school seniors, and Maye is in the No.  50-75 rankings range. 

Along with Smith, both State and Carolina are recruiting another junior playmaker – Kobi Simmons (6-5, Alpharetta, Ga.).  A fourth top junior point guard – Lonzo Ball (6-5, Chino Hills.  Calif.) – has already committed to UCLA. 

The Wolfpack should be set at the point next season, assuming sophomore Cat Barber opts to stay in school.  Like Tokoto, Barber isn’t projected as a first-round NBA pick. 

College non-seniors have until Wednesday to declare for the NBA Draft.  There’s no specific deadline for academically qualified high school juniors to leave early for college.