Southern California forward Nikola Vucevic decided to enter the NBA draft, skipping his final year of eligibility.
Vucevic announced his decision during a Friday news conference. He has already signed with an agent, ending the possibility of a return to the Trojans.
The 6-foot-10, 260-pounder is coming off the best season of his career. He was All-Pac-10, averaging a team-high 17.1 points and a conference-best 10.3 rebounds.
''It just felt like the right time for me to leave,'' Vucevic said. ''I think I've shown a lot of things that I can do at this level and I've made improvements every year.''
USC coach Kevin O'Neill, who previously served as coach of the Toronto Raptors, said that Vucevic was ready to make the jump to the NBA. He believes his star player will be able to make an impact at the next level.
Vucevic elected to not test his draft value waters before making his final decision. He said will be represented by Bill Duffy and Rade Filipovich of BDA Sports Management.
