OXFORD, Miss. — One of the most influential University of Mississippi basketball players is making a return to Oxford.

Marshall Henderson is joining head coach Kermit Davis’ staff: as a graduate manager. The University of Mississippi announced on Tuesday. Henderson, who average almost 20 points per game in his two seasons at Mississippi, said he is excited to make a return to Oxford.

“Of course, I am thrilled to be back in Oxford,” Henderson said. “The people here have been more than wonderful to me for a long time. Anything I can do to help the basketball team continue their success; I will do to the fullest of my ability. I am very excited about getting a master’s degree. When I was an undergrad academically, I wasn’t as focused as I needed to be, and this position gives me a path to make peace with myself on that front.”

In his two years at Mississippi, Henderson left his imprint on the school’s basketball program forever, which made him a fan favorite. He set an SEC record, at that time, knocking down 138 3-pointers as a junior and set an SEC record by making at least one 3-pointer in all 66 games he played in at Mississippi.

Now Kermit Davis said he is thrilled to have Henderson come back to Mississippi as a graduate manager.

“We love having our former players back to Ole Miss to pursue their master’s degree and further their coaching careers. We are excited to have Marshall back with (Mississippi) Basketball and join our program as a graduate manager,” Davis said. “In talks with Marshall, you can tell his great passion for basketball and working with young people.”

After his college days at Mississippi, Henderson played professional basketball over the last five years. He signed with the Sacramento Kings before the 2015-16 season and joined the organization’s NBA D League team, the Reno Bighorns (now called the Stockton Kings competing in the NBA G League). Henderson took his talents outside of the United States as well, playing in China, Italy, Iraq, and Qatar.

Henderson then went from player to coach. Recently, he coached at Birdville High School, which is in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, in 2018. In 2019, he was an assistant coach at Thomas University, an NAIA school in Georgia. Now Henderson is returning to the University of Mississippi.