NC State basketball center Omer Yurtseven announced Wednesday that he is withdrawing his name from consideration in the 2017 NBA Draft and will return to the Wolfpack for his sophomore season, according to NC State Athletics.

Yurtseven, a 7-foot center from Turkey, played in 22 games for the Pack last season and averaged 5.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game during his freshman campaign. Yurtseven also started 14 games for State after sitting out the team’s first nine games due to NCAA sanctions.

Yurtseven will be returning to a State team with a new head coach as Kevin Keatts was hired this offseason to replace Mark Gottfried. Yurtseven credited this as one of his reasons for returning.

“I feel like I have a special relationship with coach Keatts, which is one of the main reasons I decided to return” Yurtseven told NC State Athletics. “I’m grateful to all of the NBA teams that brought me in for workouts, helped me through this process and provided valuable feedback. That being said, I’m excited to return to NC State and play, and continue to improve under Coach Keatts and our staff next season.”

Yurtseven did not sign with an agent, electing to test the waters of the NBA Draft with the option to return to school. He participated in the NBA Draft Combine from May 9-14 before making his decision to return to NC State. Keatts expressed his delight in Yurtseven’s decision.

“I’m certainly happy that Omer has made the decision to return to NC State,” Keatts said to NC State Athletics. “He is a dedicated student, first and foremost, and I know furthering his education is a priority to him. I’m excited to be a part of his continued development as a player. His skill set is a great fit for our system and style of play, and I look forward to seeing Omer further develop.”