Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Utah on February 24, 2026 , Win , 75, to, 59


03.30.2000 | Men's Basketball
AMES, Iowa (AP) - Jamaal Tinsley said he will return to Iowa State next season instead of entering the NBA draft.
"I'm staying in school because this is where I should be right now," the 6-foot-3 junior point guard said Wednesday. "I want to get my degree and improve my game and my leadership skills. I am staying in school without a doubt."
Tinsley and teammate Marcus Fizer, also a junior, have been the subjects of widespread speculation since leading the Cyclones to the NCAA Midwest Regional final.
Fizer has not announced his decision.
Tinsley, a junior college transfer from Mount San Jacinto (Calif.) Community College, said he only briefly considered leaving Iowa State.
"It was just other people trying to make me make that decision," he said. "I have been avoiding them and not listening to what they have been saying."
Tinsley finished the season as the team leader in assists with 244 and steals with 98.
Coach Larry Eustachy said Tinsley has a chance to be the top point guard in the country next year.
"Jamaal's decision is one of the wisest decisions I have ever seen a young man make," he said. "Another year will certainly benefit him on the court and in school."