He's coming home.
On Thursday morning, North Carolina men's basketball forward Luke Maye officially withdrew his name from the 2018 NBA Draft and announced his intention to return to school for his senior year.
Maye declared for the draft on April 23, but did not hire an agent, leaving fans optimistic that he would return to UNC.
The forward's decision to return to school was accompanied by a statement on Instagram.
"I have had a great experience learning from the NBA process and growing as a basketball player during the past couple weeks," Maye wrote. "I would like to thank my family, friends, coaches and teammates for all of their support. Through this process, I have decided that I am going to comeback to school to improve as a player and finish my college career..."
His return should be music to the ears of Tar Heel fans. As a junior, he averaged 16.9 points and a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game. The impressive play earned him multiple accolades including first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America, as well as being the ACC's Most Improved Player.
As a sophomore, he etched his name into UNC basketball lore with a game-winning shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight. That performance, along with a 16-point, 12-rebound showing against Butler in the Sweet 16, was enough for Maye to be named the South Regional's Most Outstanding Player.
Maye will anchor a frontcourt that also features Cameron Johnson, sophomore bigs Sterling Manley and Garrison Brooks, and first-year phenom Nassir Little.
In the Instagram post, Maye also referenced his excitement in continuing to play with his friends and fellow seniors, Kenny Williams and Johnson.
