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Jahii Carson will return to Arizona State

UCLA v Arizona State

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 14: Jahii Carson #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils reacts in the second half while taking on the UCLA Bruins during the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 14, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

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Jahii Carson announced that he will return to Arizona State for his redshirt sophomore season on Tuesday afternoon, making the decision official in a statement on the athletic department website.

Carson, who was named Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the Year with Shabazz Muhammad, led the team with 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game, while pulling down 3.7 rebounds for the Sun Devils, who finished the season 22-13 overall and 9-9 in the Pac-12, capping the year with an 89-86 loss at Baylor in the second round of the NIT.

“At this time it is in my best interest to continue my career at Arizona State,” said Carson. “ASU has been very good to me and I enjoy my teammates and coaching staff, and that was a big part of my decision. The option to try the NBA was there, but all my energy is now invested in being the best Sun Devil I can be and lead our team to a great season.”

The 5-10, 175-pound Carson, who sat out the 2011-12 season due to academics, scored at least 20 points in Arizona State’s final four games, including a 34-point effort in an 89-88 victory over Stanford in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament. He scored in single digits just twice on the season.

You have to wonder why Carson isn’t going pro. His game seems NBA-ready. Not only do his stats back it up, but he gets those numbers consistently and does so in big games as well -- he dropped 30 points on then-no. 18 Creighton in an early-season loss and 22 in a loss to then-no.7 Arizona later on. He’s a local product from Mesa, Ariz.

With Carson coming back, coach Herb Sendek can expect to pick up where his team left off next year. They lose Carrick Felix, but return center Jordan Bachynski (9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 blocks per game) and guard Evan Gordon (10.1 points) return, along with 6-7 Jonathan Gilling’s 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Follow David Harten on Twitter at @David_Harten