PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers University rising junior guard Corey Sanders has withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft and will return for the 2017-18 season.

"The evaluation process was a valuable learning experience for Corey and we are excited about his return," said Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell. "Corey made great strides as a sophomore and we fully expect him to use the feedback he received to develop further and have a great junior season. Corey will play an integral role as we continue to build both the present and future of Rutgers Basketball."

An Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and All-Met Second Team selection in 2016-17, Sanders led Rutgers and ranked among the Big Ten leaders with a 12.8 points-per-game scoring average. In conference action, He averaged 14.7 points-per-game, which was 11th in the Big Ten overall and first among league sophomores. The Lakeland, Fla. native paced the Scarlet Knights in steals (1.33) and assists (3.24), while ranking eighth and tied for 13th in the conference, respectively, in those categories.

Sanders scored in double-figures 21 times in 2016-17, including 14 of 18 Big Ten regular season games. In the team's Big Ten victories, he averaged 22.3 points, including 25 in wins over Penn State and Nebraska.

Under Pikiell, who's 9-1 start marked the best head-coaching debut in Rutgers men's basketball history, the Scarlet Knights more than doubled its overall win total and tripled its conference victory total last season. Rutgers achieved a plus-117 rank improvement in RPI, as well as major NCAA ranking improvements in rebound margin (+299), scoring defense (+272), three point FG defense (+247), offensive rebounds (+244), rebounds (+232), field goal percentage defense (+226) and blocks (+114). The Scarlet Knights ranked among the top 100 in 10 NCAA statistical categories, including among the top 50 in seven, after ranking among the top 150 in just two statistical categories in 2015-16.

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