BOULDER — All of those mock NBA drafts that left Colorado’s Spencer Dinwiddie out of the first round were not about to distract the 6-foot-6 point guard from focusing on his dream.

Dinwiddie announced Thursday that he will forgo his final year of college eligibility to turn pro.

“I’ve got first-round talent,” he said at a news conference. “If an NBA team has the confidence to give me the keys to the car (and contribute), they won’t regret it.”

A native of Los Angeles, Dinwiddie is still recovering from a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee that occurred during a Jan. 12 game at Washington. The injury, which also involved a meniscus tear, required reconstructive surgery. Dinwiddie acknowledged that he likely will not be medically cleared to participate in full-speed basketball drills until early August.

Eyebrows may have been raised by fans — and perhaps by even some connected to the NBA — during his announcement, wondering why an injured player would toss his name into a draft that is as stacked in talent as any in a decade.

But Dinwiddie views things a bit differently than others, a trait that served him well as CU’s playmaker and floor leader.

“There might be 25 out of 30 teams that think I’m a first-round talent, but they can’t verify it because of my knee,” said Dinwiddie, who was averaging 14.7 points with career bests of 46.6 percent from the field, 85.7 percent on free throws and a 2.13 assists-to-turnover ratio last season before the injury. “My thought is like this: Outside of the top five (picks), you don’t get lifetime money. Whether I go 25th or 35th, though I understand the differences in the contract could be $1 million or $2 million on the front end, if I start my career now, at the back end I could make that up easily.

“So, it doesn’t really matter what I did, going to the NBA in this situation or next year. Either way, I’m going to have to win a job after that first contract.”

TOUT: Buffs senior-to-be guard Spencer Dinwiddie declares for NBA draft

CU coach Tad Boyle said there is no doubt in his mind that Dinwiddie has first-round talent.

“Somebody is going to get a heck of a player,” Boyle said. “And they’re going to get it at a bargain price. With Spencer, they’re getting the whole package.”

To erase any lasting concerns about his knee, Dinwiddie and his family flew to Houston to see a specialist. Dinwiddie said the orthopedist raved about how well the rehabilitation had gone on Dinwiddie’s knee, comparing it to the recovery of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson from major knee surgery.

“He told me, ‘If Adrian Peterson is Secretariat (with his recovery), you are Seabiscuit,’ ” Dinwiddie said.

Boyle said he “sensed all along” that Dinwiddie was determined to turn pro this spring.

“Spencer has never lacked confidence,” Boyle said. “When it comes to a decision like this, it’s a personal decision. It’s really his decision. I respect that. When I recruited Spencer, I knew what his goal was. This is a good day.”

And with Dinwiddie joining Alec Burks (2011) and Andre Roberson (2013) as Colorado players to leave early for the NBA under Boyle, the coach said he can use those success stories in his recruiting pitch to blue-chip prospects.

“Our program is in good shape,” Boyle said. “I don’t expect us to take any steps backward.”