After a sensational freshman season, Arizona State point guard Jahii Carson opted to continue to build upon his legacy as a Sun Devil.
The Sun Devils' leading scorer announced that he would return for his sophomore season on Tuesday night amidst speculation that he could enter the NBA draft.
"It's the best thing for me to do to build my legacy here and to be the best Sun Devil I can be," Carson said.
Carson entertained thoughts of leaving Arizona State and submitted paperwork with the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, but ultimately elected to stay in Tempe for one more season.
"It was really more of my decision. I had positive feedback, but I felt it was the best thing for me to come back and continue what I started," Carson said.
The 5-foot-10 lightening-quick guard was named the co-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 18.5 points per game and 5.06 assists per game this season.
Carson brought energy and life to a Sun Devil squad in desperate need of a lift and his chemistry with much-improved senior Carrick Felix helped drive Arizona State to a 22-13 record.
"We're going to try to take a page out of his book and continue to work hard and build something," Carson said.
Head Coach Herb Sendek was thrilled with his point guard's decision as he looks forward to having one of the best college basketball players in the country return to the floor next season.
"One thing that guys have typically done in our program is get better and as he follows that same trajectory, I'm really excited about the possibilities," Sendek said.
The Mesa native was highly recruited out of high school, but elected to stay close to home and play in front of his family and friends. Though Carson provided many memorable performances at Wells Fargo Arena, his best games came on the road this season.
His most impressive outing came in the Sun Devils' first round Pac-12 Tournament matchup against the Stanford Cardinal as Carson's 34 points and four assists keyed the Arizona State victory.
Carson's 18 20-point games led the Pac-12 and also set an Arizona State record for most 20-point games by a freshman.
Though he will be returning for his sophomore season, Carson still has his eyes set on the NBA. However, he isn't quite ready to speculate about when he will leave college behind.
"I really don't know the future but I know that I'm on track to graduate and that's something that my mom has always wanted me to do."