Sophomore guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes has decided to return to Florida State for his junior season and has withdrawn his name from the early entry list for the 2016 NBA Draft. His decision to continue his college career allows the Seminoles to return two of their top three scorers and nearly 60 percent of their scoring total from the 2015-16 season, when they finished third in the ACC in scoring at 78.0 points per game.
“I came to Florida State for a number of reasons with the biggest one being the opportunity to become a complete basketball player under Coach Hamilton and the coaches,” Rathan-Mayes said. “Entering the draft process and getting feedback from a number of people including Coach Hamilton has allowed me and my family to assess my career moving forward. 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.”
Rathan-Mayes has started 62 of his 65 career games and is averaging 13.3 points per game as a Seminole. He has scored 865 career points and enters his junior season needing only 135 points to become the 45th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Rathan-Mayes is tied for 23rd in school history with 283 career assists and needs only 73 assists to move into Florida State’s all-time top 10.
“Xavier sat down with his parents and made a great decision for himself and his family,” said Hamilton. “He is an important member of our team and will play a large part in our success next season.”