MKRob Sports

Gani Lawal is coming back to Georgia Tech for his junior year.

After working out for several NBA teams, the 6-9 forward has decided to pull his name out of the June 25 draft.

“I was happy either way but if this is what he feels is best, then this is what’s best because he’s a young adult now,” his mom, Michelle Lawal said Sunday. “He gathered all the information he wanted to gather and made his decision.”

Lawal said the workouts convinced him he needs to hone his skills and develop a better overall understanding of the game.

“You don’t get that in two or three years,” he said.

Lawal averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds last year as he made the biggest statistical jump of any ACC player. Two mock drafts had projected he would be taken 24th overall by the Portland Trailblazers.

With Lawal’s return, Georgia Tech is positioned for a major turnaround after last season’s 12-19 debacle, which included a 2-14 ACC mark.

Lawal and incoming 6-9 freshman Derrick Favors, Scout.com’s No. 1 prospect nationally, should anchor one of the nation’s best frontcourts.

“We’ve got a good class coming in but that doesn’t mean we’re automatically going to be better,” Lawal told ESPN.com. “We’re capable of doing big things and having a big turnaround next season.”

Was it a great decision by Lawal to come back for his junior year?