Report: Kris Dunn Will Return to Providence for Junior Season

The news that Providence fans have been waiting for since their season ended in Columbus, OH on March 20th has broken. Kris Dunn will return to Providence for his junior season instead of entering the 2015 NBA Draft, according to a report by Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowki. The 21-year old Dunn has two years of eligibility remaining due to a medical redshirt granted for the 2013-14 season when Dunn played in just 4 games. Dunn was being projected as high as 13 by DraftExpress.com and 10th by Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com. A formal announcement is expected soon, per Wojnarowski. A good place for that formal announcement may be the team’s end of season banquet on Saturday at the Omni Hotel in Providence.

Dunn had a fantastic comeback season after undergoing a second surgery on his left shoulder in December 2013. Dunn was shaking off the rust for much of November and even December but he had some breakout performances, including a triple-double against DePaul on January 29th.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8pyH-XEYXc]

Dunn especially shined during Big East play and became the first player ever to lead the Big East in assists and steals in the same season. He was named a First Team All-Big East performer after not being on any of the preseason teams in October and Dunn was also voted the co-Defensive Player of the Year and co-Player of the Year. He became the first Friar to ever be named Big East Player of the Year and second Friar to ever be named Big East Defensive Player of the Year (John Linehan in 2001 and 2002).

Dunn finished the regular season 2nd in the nation in assists per game at 7.6 and 4th nationally in steals per game at 2.78. The assist average is the 5th best season in Providence College history. Dunn also possesses the 6th best career assist average in school history at 5.58 through 62 career games. Dunn’s 90 steals tie him for the 7th most in a season in school history with Eric Murdock’s 90 during the 1988-89 season. He also is 6th on the career steals average list at 2.03 steals per game. The downside this season was the turnovers. Dunn’s 138 turnovers this season are tied for the 2nd most in school history in a season and he’s just 2 turnovers behind Dwight Williams’ 140 in the 1977-78 season.

Dunn’s decision to stay at Providence for at least 1 more season means the Friars have a fighting chance at having another good season after making back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and 2015. Dunn should garner plenty of national attention heading into next season and could very easily play himself comfortably into the higher end of the lottery for the 2016 NBA Draft.

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Mike Hopkins

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