Safid Deen

Democrat staff writer

Florida State guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes will return to school for his junior season, the school announced on Monday night.

Rathan-Mayes chose to test his prospects for the NBA by entering his name for the 2016 draft, but decided to withdraw from the early entry list after not receiving an invite to the NBA combine.

“Entering the draft process and getting feedback from a number of people including Coach (Leonard) Hamilton has allowed me and my family to assess my career moving forward,” Rathan-Mayes said in a statement. "As we closely reviewed the feedback we received, we felt it was in my best interest to continue my career at Florida State.

“I have never been more excited to get back to work and get ready for the upcoming season. With our returning players and our incoming class, we can all be a part of something special. We are all looking forward to getting back together as a team and preparing for the season.”

Along with sophomore Dwayne Bacon, who also briefly flirted with the idea of leaving school for the NBA, the Seminoles return two of their top three scorers for the 2016-17 season.

Rathan-Mayes, Bacon and incoming five-star freshman Johnathan Isaac, the nation’s top-ranked small forward, will look to get FSU back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.

“Xavier sat down with his parents and made a great decision for himself and his family,” Hamilton said in the statement. “He is an important member of our team and will play a large part in our success next season.”

FSU’s second leading scorer, guard Malik Beasley, will participate in the Chicago combine from May 11-15. Beasley has recently been listed as a first-round prospect in several NBA mock drafts.