June 15, 2009
COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M's Chinemelu Elonu will forgo his senior year to remain in the NBA Draft while Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis have withdrawn, A&M Coach Mark Turgeon said Monday.
"We wish Chinemelu the best in his career," Turgeon said. "He graduated in May and just felt like he was ready to move on with his life. It was a good process for Sloan and Davis and they learned a lot. They are ready to come back, lead the team and have great senior years."
Turgeon will welcome back three senior starters and eight of the team's top 10 scorers, losing only top scorer Josh Carter and Elonu to graduation. A&M went 24-10 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sloan led the team in assists last season and ranked second in scoring (11.8). He has started in all but one game in the last two years. Davis averaged 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and had 46 blocked shots.
"It was an education process for me and it taught me a lot," Sloan said. "I'm anxious to come back to A&M with a strong senior season and compete for championships."
"Working out for the NBA teams was a great experience and I felt like it made me a better player," Davis said. "I'm looking forward to coming back and winning championships next season."
Elonu earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors after averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds and 53 blocked shots. He set a school record by making 66.5 percent from the field and was named the Big 12's most improved player.
"I love A&M and it was a tough decision for me to leave early," Elonu said. "I prayed about it a lot and the fact that I graduated last month helped me make the decision to see what I can do at the next level. I just want to thank the fans, my coaches, my teammates and everyone at A&M for all they have done for me and for the great experience I had here."
A&M has advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament four straight years and has posted five consecutive 20-win seasons.