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Published Apr 9, 2019
Ashton Hagans will return to Cats
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Jeff Drummond  •  CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor
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@JDrumUK

Point guard announces he will be back at Kentucky for his sophomore season after considering NBA Draft options. 

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Kentucky will have at least one important piece of its roster returning for the 2019-20 season.

Ashton Hagans announced Tuesday via his Instagram account that he plans to be back with the Wildcats for his sophomore season.

“We had a great season this year but I want more,” Hagans said in a statement released by UK. “I know I’ve only scratched the surface with my game and there’s so much more I want to accomplish at Kentucky. Coach Cal and the staff have challenged me since day one, and I know with another season at UK we can chase some special things with the same mindset. I can’t wait to get back to work with my brothers.”

The 6-foot-3 guard had been exploring his NBA Draft options after a freshman campaign that saw him average 7.7 points and 4.3 assists. He shared SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors with LSU's Tremont Waters.

The Georgia native started 30 of 37 games for Kentucky, providing a spark when he entered the lineup at the end of December. His season-high 23 points led the Cats to a 69-49 win on Jan. 15 against the home state Bulldogs.

He had 10 games with three or more steals and tied Shai GIlgeous-Alexander for most steals (61) by a freshman in program history. Hagans had a season-high eight in the the Cats' 80-72 win over No. 10 North Carolina on Dec. 22.

The most recent ESPN mock draft projected Hagans as a mid-second round pick, leaving him room to improve his stock with another year at UK.

“I had a great meeting with Ashton,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “He had a wonderful season but he’s not satisfied. He said his desire was to come back and continue to grow and do some special things at Kentucky. That’s all I needed to hear. He’s ready for the challenge, and I’m all in with him.”

Hagans will be part of what could be an extremely deep UK backcourt next season. Fellow freshmen Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson and Immanuel Quickley could also be back with the Cats, and Calipari has signed wings Tyrese Maxey, Keion Brooks, Kahlil Whitney and Dontaie Allen in the Class of 2019.

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