Scott Richey’s random thoughts from the national college hoops scene:
Moving parts
There’s nothing unusual about the number of players transferring after the 2015-16 season. That’s become the norm. What is unusual is a pair of 2015 five-star recruits — two of the top-five point guards in the class, no less — hit the open market. Malik Newman and his one-and-done dreams were shattered by second-round projections, so he decided to return to college. Just not Mississippi State, where his preferred style and Ben Howland’s didn’t match. Something similar happened at Duke. Even though Derryck Thornton started 20 of 36 games, he was unhappy enough to leave and ultimately commit to USC on Friday.