OSU's Carroll Opts To Test NBA Waters

Oklahoma State basketball guard Jeffrey Carroll is testing the NBA waters.

Fresh off a breakout season that included All-Big 12 Conference and all-district accolades, he has a message for Cowboy basketball fans.

"First off, I want to thank all of the fans who have reached out to me this season," Carroll said. "You guys are the reason Oklahoma State is my home, and why I never want to play for another school. We were able to accomplish so much last season, and my growth on and off the court has put me one step closer to realizing my childhood dream of playing in the NBA. At this time, I think I would be silly to not test the NBA waters and seek the advice of actual NBA personnel, but I will do so without hiring an agent. If their advice is that I return to college for my final year, I will proudly put on that Cowboy jersey and give my all for Oklahoma State.

Carroll is one of the nation's most improved power conference players. He only played 4.3 more minutes per game but improved his scoring by 9.3 points per game over his 2015-16 season. He joined Bryant "Big Country" Reeves as the only OSU players to average 17 points or more that can claim an improvement of +9.0 points from their previous season.

He ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring (17.5), eighth in rebounding (6.6) and third in 3-point percentage (.444), which made him just the fourth player in league history to finish in the top 10 in each of those categories, joining Georges Niang (ISU, 2015-16), Jordan Hamilton (Texas, 2010-11) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2006-07).

Carroll entered the 2016-17 season with a career-high scoring game of 18 points, but tied or topped that mark 20 times. That helped earn him Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference honors from the Associated Press and the league's coaches. He was also named First-Team NABC All-District, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association named him a Second-Team All-District selection.