Singler to stay for senior year

Junior Kyle Singler announced Monday night that he will remain at Duke for his senior season, ending weeks of speculation about his NBA future.

Singler, a 6-foot-8 swingman, was projected to go anywhere from the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second in the upcoming NBA Draft.

By choosing to return for a fourth season in Durham, Singler will hope to improve his potential draft position and make himself a certain lottery pick. And as far as his team is concerned, Singer’s return—coupled with that of Nolan Smith and the addition of Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving and the rest of a highly touted recruiting class—the Blue Devils figure to be the favorite to defend their national title next season.

“I love being here at Duke and am excited about next year,” Singler said. “I had two great options in front of me, but I did not want to miss out on all of the great things to come in a senior season.”

Singler averaged 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 2009-2010 and peaked during Duke’s NCAA Tournament run. The junior played some of his best games in the postseason, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors for his performance in Indianapolis as Duke won its fourth national championship.