Draft Roundup: Scotty Pippen Jr. returning to Vandy

[July 09, 2021]  Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. has decided to return for his junior season after exploring his options for the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

Pippen announced his decision late Wednesday night on social media under the heading, "Nashville, I'm back."

"After testing the waters of the NBA Draft process, I have decided to return to Vanderbilt for my junior season. Run it back," Pippen wrote on Twitter.

The son of Hall of Fame member Scottie Pippen, he was an All-SEC First Team selection in 2020-21. He set a school record for a sophomore by averaging 20.8 points per game, which was good for second in the conference and 16th in the NCAA.

Pippen also was second in the conference with 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He scored a career-high 36 points on March 4 in a win at Cincinnati.
 

--Former Marquette big man Dawson Garcia announced Thursday that he has removed his name from the draft and will instead transfer to North Carolina for the 2021-22 season.

Garcia made the announcement on Instagram.

The 6-foot-11 Garcia averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for Marquette last year, earning a spot on the Big East All-Freshman Team. He entered his name on transfer portal on June 25, ahead of the July 1 deadline to be eligible to play next season.

--Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas announced late Wednesday on Instagram that he is returning to the school for his junior season.

Vanderbilt Commodores guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (2) is fouled as he attempts a shot against Texas A&M Aggies center Javonte Brown (31) during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

"Since declaring for the NBA Draft, these past few months have been a great learning experience and I'm so appreciative to all those who have taken the time to help guide me through this process. I've prayed on it and have officially decided to return to Oral Roberts this fall," Abmas wrote.

"ORU, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to run it back with my team in front of the best fans in the country!"

Abmas led the nation with 24.6 points per game to go with 3.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 28 games (all starts) in 2020-21. The Summit League Player of the Year made 101 3-pointers and shot 43.3 percent from behind the arc last season. He led the 15th-seeded Golden Eagles to the Sweet 16.

--Field Level Media

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