Reece Beekman is pulling his name out of the NBA Draft and returning to Virginia for the 2023-24 season.

The ACC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year shared the news with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on Wednesday. Though he received positive feedback from NBA teams, he told Givony he thinks he can improve his stock with another season in Charlottesville.

“I’ve decided to go back to UVA to work towards being a first-round draft pick next year and finish my degree,” Beekman told ESPN.

The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 43 prospect in ESPN’s draft rankings

. He posted 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 23 minutes in his final scrimmage at the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May.

A third-team All-ACC performer last season for Tony B

ennett, Beekman averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds for the Cavaliers as a junior. He started all 32 of his appearances and averaged 33 minutes per contest.

It’s a major win for Bennett given 4 of Virginia’s top 5 scorers from the 2022-23 campaign have all since left the program. He finished third in the ACC in assists and should be a major help organizing and running the show on the offensive end of the floor as the team pivots to new faces in new roles.