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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Not Declaring For The NBA Yet

Georgia freshman start won't leave the Bulldogs just yet, announcing he'll return to Athens for his sophomore season.

The sole bright spot of an otherwise forgettable Georgia Bulldogs mens basketball season has been the emergence of freshman guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but that silver lining is leaving Athens just yet. The Athens Banner-Herald reports that Caldwell-Pope will not declare for the NBA Draft following the season, and will return to Georgia next season:

"Yeah, I’m making a 100 percent statement," Caldwell-Pope said. "I’m coming back. I don’t think I’m ready for the next level yet. I’ll just continue to educate myself, work hard here and try to develop my skills."

That's beyond huge news for Marc Fox's struggling team. Caldwell-Pope leads the Bulldogs in scoring (14.5 avg.), 3-pointers (2.4 avg.), steals (1.8 avg) and minutes (32.5 per game). Georgia was hit hard last season with the loss of its top two scorers and rebounders, Trey Tomplins and Travis Leslie, both who were drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers.

For more on the Georgia Bulldogs, be sure to check out Dawg Sports. For news and notes on everything in college hoops, go to SB Nation's college basketball page.

Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.