East Lansing ? Michigan State freshman guard Gary Harris will return to school next season, the school announced on Thursday.
Harris had been projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft if he decided to enter, and some analysts had him as a top-10 selection.
"I'm looking forward to my sophomore season with my Spartan brothers," Harris said in a statement. "When the season was done, Coach (Tom) Izzo gathered a lot of great information and shared it with me and my family. After talking things over with my parents, it is my decision to remain at Michigan State.
"Playing in the NBA is definitely a goal of mine, and something that I've always dreamed of, but those dreams can wait for another day. I think additional experience and maturity will be huge in my development as a player. I have other dreams of things I want to accomplish, both as a player and as a team at Michigan State. I love college life, and I'm no hurry to move on."
Harris had an outstanding freshman season despite battling shoulder and back injuries for much of the season.
He became the first Spartan to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points a game and was named second-team All-Big Ten. Harris was also was voted Team MVP by his teammates, becoming the first freshman to earn that honor.
"After the season, I told Gary that I owed it to him and his family to gather the best information available regarding his potential NBA draft prospects," Izzo said. "In the process, I spoke with many different general managers and teams, and presented that information to the family. I know Gary has dreams of someday playing in the NBA, but he handled the entire process with great maturity, and ultimately decided to remain at Michigan State.
"I have no doubt that Gary would have been a high pick had he entered the draft, but I'm excited to have the opportunity to coach him next year. Gary had a phenomenal freshman season, but his future is even brighter."
Izzo also said in the statement that after receiving numerous opinions, Harris will not have surgery on his left shoulder during the offseason.
"He's been committed to his rehab and all indications are that he's making great progress," Izzo said. "There's no question that a healthy Gary Harris is one of the premier guards in the country."
The return of Harris means the Spartans are essentially waiting on only junior Adreian Payne to make his decision on whether or not to return for his senior season. If he does, Michigan State will likely be the favorite in the Big Ten next season.
However, just having Harris back could put the Spartans in that position, as well.
"My teammates and I are already excited thinking about next season," Harris said. "I've been doing a lot of rehab on my shoulder and it feels stronger already. Last year was a good season for my teammates and me, but we can all improve this summer, and come back for even greater things next year."
mcharboneau@detnews.com
twitter.com/mattcharboneau
Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130418/SPORTS0202/304180453/1132/rss18
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