Kansas will have college basketball’s best defender back in the starting five for next season.
Junior Marcus Garrett announced his plans via Twitter that he would return for his senior year. This season, Garrett was crowned the Naismith Defensive Player of the year while finishing fifth in the Big 12 in steals at 1.8 per game.
“I completely intend to play in the NBA and know I have to continue to improve my game to reach that lifelong goal,” Garrett said in a release obtained by KU Sports after announcing his return on Twitter. “There is no better place to do that than my senior year at KU. We have great coaches and staff and I have great teammates to reach our goals. But most importantly, I’ll graduate from KU.”
Garrett started in all 31 games this season while the Jayhawks cruised to the Big 12 title with a 28-3 record. Garrett was voted unanimously to the All-Big 12 defensive team, and also featured on the All-Big 12 second team for averaging 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Garrett failed to appear in many NBA mock drafts throughout his career, but with a strong senior season showcasing growth in his scoring, there is no reason why he can’t raise his stock.
