Indiana freshman big man Thomas Bryant, considered a potential first-round NBA draft pick by several NBA executives, will return for his sophomore season, the school announced Thursday.
The 6-foot-10 Bryant averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season for the Hoosiers.
"Being a part of IU basketball is special and I'm excited to continue my development as a person and as a basketball player under Coach [Tom] Crean," Bryant said in a statement. "The bond I have with my teammates and coaches is strong. Our plan is to continue to work hard and build off of the many great things we did last year and add to the tradition here."
One NBA executive told ESPN that Bryant would "likely be a back half of the first-round guy" if he had opted to enter the NBA draft.
Indiana finished 27-8 this past season and won the regular-season Big Ten title.
The Hoosiers will lose senior point guard Yogi Ferrell, but they could return the core of the team, which includes Troy Williams, Robert Johnson, James Blackmon Jr. and OG Anunoby.
