A month after announcing that he would test the NBA Draft waters, Javin DeLaurier decided it was not yet time to dive in.
On Monday evening, Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported that DeLaurier will return to Duke for his senior season, after previously announcing April 22 that he would enter the NBA Draft process. The Shipman, Va., native confirmed his return with an Instagram post Wednesday.
The DeLaurier news comes just a few hours after a report that former teammate Marques Bolden will not return to Duke for the 2019-20 season.
After coming to Durham as just the fifth-best recruit in the Blue Devils' Class of 2016, DeLaurier quickly made a name for himself as a team leader and solid defender. The 6-foot-10 forward was named a captain his junior season, and ranked second and third on the 2018-19 team in defensive rating and blocks, respectively.
While DeLaurier's decision to explore NBA options came as a surprise to many, he did open some scouts' eyes in his May workouts. DeLaurier participated in the NBA G-League Elite Camp, and had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the two scrimmages he played in at the camp.
In his senior season at Duke, DeLaurier will look to continue the momentum he ended last season on. In the Blue Devils' Elite Eight loss to Michigan State, DeLaurier put together a 10-point, 11-rebound, 3-block performance that nearly propelled Duke to the Final Four.
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