He flirted with the NBA Draft, he flirted with the transfer portal, but at the end of the day, it’s still the Cougars for Mouhamed Gueye.

The 6-foot-11 forward will return to Washington State for his sophomore year, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

Gueye entered his name into the NBA Draft in April in order to receive feedback from pro personnel, earning an invite to the G League Elite Camp and a few workouts from NBA clubs, but elected to withdraw his name from the field prior to the June 1 deadline. He entered the portal in early May, but has now reportedly taken his name out of that as well.

It’s major news for the Cougars, who stand to lose last year’s starting center, Efe Abogidi. Gueye was a driving force behind one of the best defenses in the Pac-12 last season, and should only get better in Year 2 for coach Kyle Smith.

Gueye tied a program record held by Klay Thompson for starts in a season by a true freshman (33) and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. A five-time league Freshman of the Week honoree, Gueye averaged 7.4 points and 5.2 boards in 22 minutes a night last season.

He nearly averaged a double-double to go with 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per 40 minutes, forecasting an all-around playmaker for Washington State as he grows into a bigger role.

As it stands, the Wazzu frontcourt should once again have some talented options. Gueye rejoins a group that includes 6-10 center Dishon Jackson, 6-9 French center Mael Crespin, and 7-foot 4-star forward Adrame Diongue.

The Cougars have a couple of open scholarships to use and figure to turn their attention to the backcourt now that Gueye is locked in once again.