DURHAM (AP):Duke freshman guard Tyler Thornton's passion for defense dates to his time in grade school, when he played center and called out directions to teammates from the low post.
"He takes pride on that end of the floor, where, 'I've got to own my man and not let him be a difference maker,'" said Steve Turner, who coached Thornton at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
Turner was at Comcast Center on Wednesday night as defensive-minded Thornton made his first career start near his hometown in Duke's 80-62 defeat of Maryland.
Thornton isn't as gifted a scorer as some of his teammates, but he is providing a boost in other areas as No. 5 Duke (20-2, 7-1 ACC) prepares to host N.C. State (12-10, 2-6) at 6 p.m.
Thornton's ball handling ability allows ACC scoring leader Nolan Smith to catch the ball on offense in different places where he can be more effective. Thornton's on-the-ball pressure also adds a dimension to Duke's defense.
"I love playing defense," Thornton said. "So when the coaches were recruiting me, they noticed that was a strong point of my game, and they told me to bring that here."
At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Thornton's chances of playing a significant role for Duke were slim. Another freshman, Kyrie Irving, quickly demonstrated that he was one of the best guards in the nation.
Thornton also was behind sophomores Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins in the rotation. But after Irving injured his right big toe on Dec. 4, Thornton needed to play a larger role.
He made a big impact with four steals in Duke's first meeting with Maryland on Jan. 9. He provided help for a slightly gimpy Smith in 22 minutes against Wake Forest on Jan. 22 and played a season-high 28 minutes against the Terrapins on Wednesday.
He has nine steals since the Jan. 5 win over Alabama-Birmingham; only Smith and Curry have more during that time.
"When I got here, I knew what my role was going to be," Thornton said. "Once I committed to that role, I was going to find my way on the court, regardless of the circumstances."
