Throughout the draft process Gani Lawal has made it clear that he was going to do whatever was in his best interest and on Sunday he revealed to HOOPSWORLD that he will be returning to school for his junior year. The 6'9 sophomore forward spoke very highly of the experienced he gained throughout the past two months, but after talking with teams and his family he decided the 2010 draft was better suited for him.
No one is happier to hear this news than Paul Hewitt and the Georgia Tech basketball program. With Lawal back in the mix the Yellow Jackets will contend for an ACC Championship and undoubtedly improve on last season's 12-19 record. Lawal will be joined in the frontcourt by top-ranked forward Derrick Favors, forming one of the most talented low post duos in the country.
A strong sophomore campaign with averages of 15 points and nine rebounds firmly put Lawal on the NBA radar. There was very little chance that Lawal would have went outside the first round of this month's draft, but he learned that his stock could rise significantly with another year of development. Rather than going in the 15-25 range like he would have this year, Lawal could work his way all the way up to the top ten or even top five.
Lawal will be taking the next couple of weeks off to give his body some time to rest and recuperate. Come the 2009-2010 season Lawal will be ready for what should be a dominant and successful junior season.
As strong as the 2009 crop of power forwards that includes Blake Griffin, Jordan Hill, DeJuan Blair, and James Johnson is, the 2010 group is even better especially now with addition of Lawal. Lawal will battle for a spot in next year's lottery against the likes of Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, Craig Brackins, Greg Monroe, and Patrick Patterson.
No one is happier to hear this news than Paul Hewitt and the Georgia Tech basketball program. With Lawal back in the mix the Yellow Jackets will contend for an ACC Championship and undoubtedly improve on last season's 12-19 record. Lawal will be joined in the frontcourt by top-ranked forward Derrick Favors, forming one of the most talented low post duos in the country.
A strong sophomore campaign with averages of 15 points and nine rebounds firmly put Lawal on the NBA radar. There was very little chance that Lawal would have went outside the first round of this month's draft, but he learned that his stock could rise significantly with another year of development. Rather than going in the 15-25 range like he would have this year, Lawal could work his way all the way up to the top ten or even top five.
Lawal will be taking the next couple of weeks off to give his body some time to rest and recuperate. Come the 2009-2010 season Lawal will be ready for what should be a dominant and successful junior season.
As strong as the 2009 crop of power forwards that includes Blake Griffin, Jordan Hill, DeJuan Blair, and James Johnson is, the 2010 group is even better especially now with addition of Lawal. Lawal will battle for a spot in next year's lottery against the likes of Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, Craig Brackins, Greg Monroe, and Patrick Patterson.
