Jordan Mickey, an LSU fan favorite, will forgo his junior and senior seasons as a Tiger in an effort to make the NBA early.
The sophomore big man shined in his two years at LSU, last year scoring 15.4 points per game, grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game, and swatting away an impressive 3.6 shots per game (blocks per game). Mickey was a First-Team All-SEC selection this past season, and nearly took his team past the Round of 64 in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, losing to NC State by one in a 8-9 seed matchup.
Mickey is currently ranked outside of ESPN's top 60 prospects for the draft, so it is very probable that he will go undrafted. Had he chose to stay an LSU Tiger, he would have been able to improve his draft stock and possibly have some postseason NCAA success.
The decision came in a text to LSU beat writer Randy Rosetta.
"Today I will be announcing that I will forego my final two years of eligibility here at LSU and enter my name in the 2015 NBA Draft.
After discussing my options with my family, I believe this is the time to move on and accept new challenges at the next level. I want to first thank God for giving me the talent to play the game that I love so much. I want to thank my Mom and Dad for all the support they have (given) me over the years. Last but not least, I want to thank the coaching staff, teammates and the LSU fans. I will always be a Tiger at heart forever.
This was a tough decision because I hate to leave my teammates and LSU family. We have been through a lot in the past two years as we have grown as a team. This is just the beginning for LSU. I'm confident great things are coming in the near future for this team as they continue to grow. I wanted things to end on a better note but due to injuries, I was limited in what I could do for my team. Trust that I gave it my all."
It probably wasn't the best decision for Mickey's career, but, hey, money calls.