As Kentucky fans await the decisions of top freshmen Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, they can at least take comfort that a third member of that class will be back in Lexington next season.
Shooting guard Doron Lamb, Yahoo! Sports' sixth man of the year this past season, announced Tuesday he will return to Kentucky. Lamb averaged 12.3 points per game and shot 48.6 percent from 3-point range as a freshman, but he likely would have been a fringe first-round pick had he entered the draft.
In addition to the chance to improve his draft stock as a sophomore, Lamb said his biggest motivation to return was to win a national championship. Kentucky lost to eventual champ UConn in the Final Four earlier this month, but the Wildcats are expected to be among the top title threats next season whether Jones and Lamb return or not.
"With the guys we have coming in next year, I know we have the talent to make another run at a national title," Lamb said. "I want to help bring a national championship back to the Big Blue Nation because I know they've been waiting too long. I've enjoyed my time at Kentucky, playing for Coach Cal and his staff and I'm not ready for it to end."
Jones and Knight have until Sunday to enter their names in the draft. Unlike Lamb, both of them are projected to be potential lottery picks if they enter the draft.
Kentucky coach John Calipari has encouraged Jones and Knight to test the waters, but he's pleased to have Lamb back.
"Doron has the opportunity to improve greatly with an additional year in college," Calipari said in a statement. "A lot of players have opted to return to school which made it a tougher decision for him. Not only does he gain another year of maturity and school work, but he now has the chance to put in the extra work to elevate his game."
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