Thomas to return to Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind., June 16 (UPI) -- Chris Thomas, who led Notre Dame to the "Sweet 16" for the first time since 1987, has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft.

The school announced Monday he will return for his junior year.

The point guard was Notre Dame's second-leading scorer last season, averaging 18.7 points and a team-high 6.9 assists. He became the first player in school history to hand out more than 200 assists in back-to-back seasons.

"Now that he has gone through the process, I believe that he has made a great decision to return to Notre Dame," Fighting Irish Coach Mike Brey said. "I feel very strongly that when Chris' time comes, he is going to have a great 8-10 year career in the NBA."

The 6-1 Thomas already ranks fifth on the school's all-time assists list with 488, averaging 7.3 per game.