Now that Duke's season is over, freshman Jayson Tatum has announced he will enter this year's NBA draft.

Jay Smooth. NBA next. forever. 🔵😈🏀
— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB)

“I’m excited to take the next step in pursuing my lifelong dream of playing basketball at the highest possible level,” Tatum said in a . “With that said, I’ve loved my time at Duke. The Brotherhood is a real thing and I’ll always be part of the bond between former, current and future Duke players. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, family and friends for the unwavering support I’ve received as I pursue my dream.”

The St. Louis native missed the first eight games of his freshman season after spraining his ankle in October. He returned full time to the court at the beginning of December and averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Blue Devils this season.

“I have absolutely loved coaching Jayson Tatum,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His skill set and work ethic will make him a star in the NBA. Whichever team selects him will be getting a humble, thoughtful and talented young man whom we are proud to call a member of the Duke Basketball brotherhood.”

Tatum is the seventh player in the past six years to leave Duke as a freshman for the NBA.