Michael Conroy / AP

Duke's Kyle Singler, center, averaged 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds while leading Duke to a 35-5 record and the school’s fourth national championship.

updated 10:23 p.m. ET April 19, 2010

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke’s Kyle Singler, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, announced Monday night that he will return to school for his senior season.

Singler said in a statement released by the school that he was looking forward to one more year in college.

“I love being here at Duke and am excited about next year,” Singler said. “I had two great options in front of me, but I did not want to miss out on all of the great things to come in a senior season.”

Singler averaged 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds while leading Duke to a 35-5 record and the school’s fourth national championship. He had 17 games with 20 or more points while posting seven double-doubles.

The first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and MVP of the league tournament became one of 18 players in Duke history to score over 700 points in a season, finishing with 707 in 2009-10.

“I am looking forward to coaching Kyle in his senior year and seeing him develop more as a player and as a leader,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Singler, senior Jon Scheyer and junior Nolan Smith made up the nation’s most productive trio last season, combining to average more than 53 points.

Singler was one of the last high-profile players to make his decision; the deadline for underclassmen to announce their NBA intentions is April 25.

His draft stock seemed to rise considerably with his impressive NCAA tournament. He scored at least 20 points in three of Duke’s six victories — getting 24 in a regional semifinal win over Purdue and 21 in the Final Four against West Virginia before finishing with 19 in the title game against Butler.

After playing both inside and outside during his first two seasons, he spent almost all of his time on the perimeter last season and shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.

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