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With eyes on NBA, Marcus Garrett says he won’t be returning to KU for a fifth season

Kansas senior point guard Marcus Garrett will not return to the Jayhawks men’s basketball team for a fifth season, he announced on Wednesday night.

Garrett, a 6-foot-5 Dallas native, who has been mentioned as a possible second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft or a candidate for a two-way free agent contract in the league, said he will leave KU to concentrate on an upcoming pro career.

He had the option of playing for the Jayhawks as a “Super Senior” in 2021-22 because of an NCAA rule allowing all players an extra year of eligibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m not leaving without letting you all know how thankful I am,” Garrett said in a message to fans posted on KU’s athletic website. … “I’m officially putting all my efforts into preparing for the 2021 NBA Draft. I hope I just gave you a glimpse into how amazing these last four years have been for me. Now it’s time for the next chapter in my life. But don’t ever get it twisted, it’s Rock Chalk forever.”

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He added: “Before I came to school here, I had probably left Texas twice in my lifetime. When I got here, everything was new to me. And from the moment I walked on campus, you all took me in. No questions asked. You (fans) treated me as family. You made the transition from high school to college easy. I cannot thank you all enough for that. From Day 1, I was a part of the Jayhawk family. My second family.”

KU coach Bill Self had this to say about Garrett’s decision: “Marcus is a great player and I would have loved for him to return for another season, but the reality is this is the best decision for him and we fully support that. I believe what he accomplished in his career here at KU has put him in a great position to make this step. To see the progress he made over his four years, including being named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, makes me excited to see him at the next level. He has meant a lot to our program and our fans, and we all know he will continue to make us proud.”

Garrett was honored at Senior Day this past season and it was expected by many around the program that he’d likely begin his pro career instead of returning to KU.

Garrett averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists a game for the Jayhawks his senior year. He hit 45.9% of his shots and 34.8% of his threes. He was an 81% free throw shooter.

Garrett dished 106 assists to 56 turnovers in 2020-21. He averaged 33 minutes a game for 21-9 KU.

He was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year following his junior campaign and second-team all-Big 12 his senior year.

Garrett ends his KU career with 984 points. His 181 all-time steals are tied for 10th most in KU history and his 351 career assists rank 19th most at KU.