Ohio State's Thomas to return for junior season

Apr 6, 2012 - 9:43 PM Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas will return for his junior season, head coach Thad Matta announced Friday.

"Deshaun, his family and our coaching staff have spent the last week evaluating his future," said Matta. "Deshaun determined he wants to remain a Buckeye. We are looking forward to building on the success our team enjoyed in 2011-12 with Deshaun playing a significant role next year."

Thomas led the Buckeyes in scoring and rebounding, at 15.9 points and 5.4 boards per game respectively, as the team won the Big Ten regular season title for the third consecutive year and advanced to the Final Four.

"We have a great team returning next season and I want to be a part of another championship run," Thomas said. "My family, my coaches and I looked at my future as a professional but I love being a Buckeye and want to continue my education and development as a player and as a person at Ohio State.

"If I do have an opportunity to play basketball professionally, I want to have an immediate impact," he added. "Working with my teammates and coaches at Ohio State will help me achieve my future goals."

Thomas shot 52 percent from the field (243-of-467) last season and scored 96 points in Ohio State's five NCAA Tournament games.