By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Xavier is in contention with Big Ten and Big East schools to land one of the most sought-after Division I men's basketball transfers.

Former Vanderbilt big man Brian Thornton has limited his future school choices to Xavier, Michigan and Boston College, according to his high school coach and his stepfather. Xavier is the only one of those three schools he has visited so far, and he is trying to schedule visits to Boston College and Michigan.

"I'd expect a decision in the next week and a half," said David Zuberer, Louisville duPont Manual High School coach who coached Thornton in high school and is helping with the process of finding his next school.

Last season as a 6-foot-8, 255-pound sophomore at Vanderbilt, Thornton averaged 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. He made the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team his first collegiate season by grabbing 4.6 rebounds a game.

But he wants to find a different coaching style than that of Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. Thornton went to Vanderbilt to attend its law school, so deciding to transfer was a difficult decision made over the course of a year, said Thornton's stepfather, Todd Bartlett. Since he was released of his scholarship at Vanderbilt, interest in Thornton has been high.

"There's a lot of pressure on him," Bartlett said. "We're trying to screen some of it. Just the other day, I had to call 13 to 14 coaches and tell them to don't call anymore."

Bartlett and Zuberer said Thornton has been talking to Xavier, BC and Michigan coaches in the past week. The schools appeal to him because of their academic and basketball reputations and the likelihood that Thornton would be able to play immediately when he becomes eligible in 2004-05.

Thornton's size and proven ability make him especially attractive to Xavier, which lost National Player of the Year David West to graduation following last season and will be without starting center Anthony Myles after next season.

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com