news
By Brad Locke
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE - Jarvis Varnado is still undecided on his future, but Kodi Augustus knows where he'll be next season.
Varnado, Mississippi State's 6-foot-9 center and a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, met with head coach Rick Stansbury on Thursday to discuss whether he'll return for his senior season or enter the NBA Draft. He left the meeting still unsure of what he'll do.
Varnado was not available for comment.
His father, Winston Varnado, was also in the meeting and said it centered around Varnado's options and what he must do to remain NCAA eligible if he does declare for the draft.
Winston Varnado said that if his son does declare - and he must do so by April 26 - he will not use an agent, which would allow Varnado to return to State if he eventually withdrew from the draft.
CBSsports.com college basketball writer Gary Parrish, in an e-mail to the Daily Journal, said it would make sense for Varnado to test the NBA waters:
"There's absolutely no reason to not enter without hiring an agent, and I suspect that's what he'll do, just to see what franchises think."
Varnado led MSU this season with 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game.
His teammate, Augustus, said Thursday he will return for 2009-10. The 6-8 sophomore had said he was unsure of his future at State after being benched 10 games into the season.
He played a big role off the bench at the end of the season, though, as MSU rolled to the SEC Tournament title and an unlikely NCAA tournament berth.
After talking with his parents, Stansbury and his former AAU coach, John Eurey, Augustus decided Starkville was the best place for him.
"We just looked at everything, and the positives outweighed the negatives," he said.