Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Isaiah Austin was one of the best players on the Baylor Bears this season and he will be back for his sophomore season.
It’s official: Isaiah Austin will return to Baylor for his sophomore season #BackForMore #SicEmtwitpic.com/cmqsqg
— Baylor Basketball (@BaylorMBB) April 29, 2013
Austin came into the 2012-13 college basketball season with a lot of hype. Some people may say that he did not entirely meet expectations, but he still managed to score 13 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. That is pretty good for any player, let alone a freshman.
NBA teams are so interested in him because of his 7’1” height and his potential on the offensive side of the ball.
As good as a season that Austin had, he has the potential to have an even better season next year. With a great year in his sophomore season, Austin’s draft stock will likely increase.
He would have likely been picked in this year’s lottery, so there is a chance that he will crack the top ten or even better next season. However, Austin still has to go out there and perform for this to happen. An apparent shoulder injury likely played part in Austin’s decision to return to Baylor in 2013-14, as reported by Jason King of ESPN:
An MRI performed last week revealed that Isaiah Austin had torn the posterior labrum in his shoulder, source told ESPN.com
— Jason King (@JasonKingESPN) April 29, 2013
Whether the case, Baylor is getting back a very good player and Austin could very easily be one of the best players in college basketball next year.
It is never a bad thing for a player to return for another year and I think Austin is making a very good decision to improve his game even further before he takes his talents to the next level.
Instead of winning the NIT next year, though, hopefully Baylor can make the 2014 NCAA Tournament with the return of Austin.
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