C.J. Fair returns to Syracuse

Syracuse junior forward C.J. Fair announced he'll play one more year with the program. The news broke Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Russ Smith made the choice to head back to Louisville for his senior season. "After talking it over with my family and my coaches, I decided another year at Syracuse was best for me," Fair said in a statement. "I'm excited about working hard with my teammates to put together another great season and graduating has also been a goal of mine." Fair was seen as a fringe first-round pick at best despite averaging team-bests of 14.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in 2012-13. The last time a Syracuse player did that and returned to school was Hakim Warrick nearly a decade ago, the Post-Standard notes. With Fair, generally speaking, his stock has improved with each year of college. A big senior season in a very tough league could certainly solidify his status as a first-round guy.