North Carolina State sophomore guard T.J. Warren announced on Tuesday that he will enter this year’s NBA draft.
Warren led the ACC with 24.9 points per game and had a shooting percentage of 52.5. He led N.C. State in rebounds, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game. In the final two games of the regular season he scored over 40 points, which made him the first ACC player to score 40 points in consecutive games since December 1990. Warren led N.C. State to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year and set school single-season records with 871 points and 31 20-point games, according to the Associated Press. He was named the ACC Player of the Year.
“I would like to thank my coaches and teammates at NC State for allowing me to compete for this great university," Warren told Sporting News. "It’s been a fun ride the last few years. I’ve had some great experiences and now I feel I’m ready to play at the next level. Playing in the NBA has been a lifelong dream of mine and playing at NC State has prepared me well to achieve my dream.”
As Fox Sports notes, Warren is projected to be picked either in the middle of the first round or early in the second round. In addition to Warren, N.C. State is also losing fifth-year senior Jordan Vandenberg and sophomore guard Tyler Lewis, who is transferring to Butler. Ralston Turner, forward Abdul-Malik Abu, and wings Caleb and Cody Martin will be returning to N.C. State.