Joel Embiid considers staying

— -- Kansas 7-footer  Joel Embiid told ESPN that he is far from a lock to leave college after this season, and is "strongly considering" returning for his sophomore campaign.

The Cameroon native said prior to Tuesday's win at Baylor that he didn't feel as though he was ready to make the jump to the NBA, but added after the game that it will depend largely on his development over the remainder of the season.

Embiid struggled in the 69-52 victory over the Bears, going 1-for-6 from the field and finishing with five points and seven rebounds.

However, Embiid -- who has only been playing organized basketball for three years -- has quickly become a lock to be taken in the top three picks in June's NBA Draft if he opts to leave college. Many NBA executives told ESPN.com that he is the frontrunner to be selected first.

Embiid entered the game averaging 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He told ESPN.com that he has been shocked by his impact thus far this season, even saying that he even thought about redshirting prior to the year.

"I'm not even thinking about it right now," Embiid said. "I'll make a decision after the season, but I'm definitely considering coming back to school."

"He's a bright young man and he's going to weigh his options," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He's considering coming back and he's obviously also considering leaving. He can't make a bad decision."