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Nate Laszewski leaves NBA Draft pool, opts in for fifth season at ND

Nate Laszewski tested the NBA Draft waters, but opted Wednesday night to return to Notre Dame for a fifth season.
Nate Laszewski tested the NBA Draft waters, but opted Wednesday night to return to Notre Dame for a fifth season. (Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports Network)

A little more than two hours before the midnight ET deadline, Nate Laszewski delivered to the Notre Dame men’s basketball program a much-needed dose of good news.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward was withdrawing from the NBA Draft process and returning for a fifth year at Notre Dame. The Jupiter, Fla., product made the announcement on Instagram.

Laszewski was one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters in the nation last season. His .456 percentage from the arc would have ranked second nationally had he had enough attempts to qualify (2.5 per game).

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He averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Irish (24-11) a year after posting career highs of 13.3 and 7.3. He played in 34 of the 35 games this past season, starting in 25 of them.

Leading scorer, freshman Blake Wesley, as expected, remained in the NBA Draft pool. The draft is set for June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Laszewski was one of the final six players to announce his intentions of whether he was staying or going.

His return theoretically makes Notre Dame a more attractive landing spot for some of the centers and forwards the Irish are pursuing through the transfer portal.

Coach Mike Brey will also add three freshmen — 6-4 guard JJ Starling, 6-8 forward Ven-Allen Lubin and 6-8 forward Dominick Campbell.

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