June 18, 2007

BERKELEY - California center DeVon Hardin has withdrawn his name from consideration for the upcoming NBA Draft and will return for his senior season in 2007-08.

Hardin initially declared for the draft April 9, but did not hire an agent in order to maintain his collegiate eligibility. At his own expense, he worked out for several NBA teams before making his decision today.

"To graduate and play a full season for Cal has always been the best option," Hardin said. "Nothing but goodness comes from that, including the NBA. We will have a strong team this year, and my teammates were a big motivation for me. They are a great group of guys. I'm not ready to leave.

"This process helped me like never before," added Hardin, who primarily consulted with Cal head coach Ben Braun and his staff, his father, Michael, and his AAU coach, Willie Clark, to help him make the choice. "Not only was I able to get feedback from NBA teams, but the workouts allowed me to go up against top talent and do well. It gives me great confidence that I can do it anywhere else."

Last season, the 6-11, 235-pound Hardin averaged 10.7 points and 8.4 rebounds and blocked 21 shots in 11 games before suffering a stress fracture to his left mid-foot that caused him to miss the remainder of the year. Prior to the injury, Hardin was named to the all-tournament team at the Great Alaska Shootout after finishing with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks vs. Loyola Marymount in the championship game.

"I am proud of the way that DeVon handled the process in making what was obviously a critical decision," Braun said. "He showed a lot of conviction in ultimately choosing to pursue his Cal degree and compete in his senior year."

One of the top shot-blockers in school history, Hardin's 95 blocks rank fifth on Cal's all-time list. For his career, he has averaged 6.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg, shooting 49.9 percent from the floor.

As Cal's starting center his sophomore year in 2005-06, Hardin earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors, helping the Bears to the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 7.3 ppg and 6.6 rpg with 48 blocks, ranking fifth in the Pac-10 in rebounding and fourth in blocks (1.55 bpg). He set career highs with 23 points and 14 rebounds vs. Northeastern on Nov. 26, 2005, when he was named MVP of the Golden Bear Classic.

Hardin's return means Cal brings back its entire starting frontline from the beginning of last year, including 6-10 forward Ryan Anderson and 6-6 forward Theo Robertson.