Orlando Magic Prospect Withdraws From NBA Draft, Returns to School

Marcus Sasser was an option for the Magic in the second round.

Houston guard Marcus Sasser worked out for the Orlando Magic Wednesday, but now the team will have no chance of drafting him.

That's because Sasser announced his withdrawal from the 2022 NBA Draft and his decision to return to Houston for his senior season.

"Going into this process, I wanted to be 100 percent sure and not have any doubts," Sasser said in a press conference. "I had a little doubt. But it wasn't a hard choice going back to school. I was relieved and excited. Just being able to re-run this with my teammates, I am really excited about it."

ESPN ranked Sasser as the 14th best point guard in the nation and the 70th best player overall. Sasser's ability to shoot the 3-ball made him an intriguing prospect among his peers after drilling 36.1 percent of his triples across 71 games at Houston.

Scouts raved about Sasser's ability to space the floor and his attribute as an on-court facilitator.

Sasser was on the verge of a career year during the 2021-22 campaign. He averaged a career-best 17.7 points on 43.7 percent shooting from behind the arc and 2.2 steals before a toe injury limited him to a dozen games.

Teams had their suspicions about Sasser's injury. But the soon-to-be senior reassured that he's completely healthy. The Cougars went 32-6 (15-3 in conference play) last season before losing to the Villanova Wildcats in the Elite 8.

"I had a lot of questions regarding my foot," Sasser said. "The doctors here took an x-ray of my foot and sent it out to all the teams to prove that I am 100 percent healthy. That is no longer a concern about me.

"I was 50/50 this whole month. Today [Wednesday] was a big decision day. After talking to my parents and agents, there was no rush. Going back to school felt like the best decision. Going back to school isn't going to do anything but help improve my stock. I was in a win-win situation."

The NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 23.