Henry Ellenson averaged 17 points and nearly 9.7 rebounds as a freshman at Marquette. Credit: Calvin Mattheis

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Henry Ellenson's Marquette career reportedly has come to a close.

ESPN college basketball writer Jeff Goodman tweeted that according to a source Ellenson "will declare for the NBA Draft and sign with an agent."

Ellenson, a 6-foot-11 forward from Rice Lake, Wis., spent one season with the Golden Eagles, leading Marquette to a 20-13 record in the 2015-'16 campaign. He rewrote the program's freshman record book, topping eight stat categories including points (561 total, 17.0 per game) and rebounds (321 total, 9.7 per game).

Ellenson's individual success earned him all-Big East first-team honors as well as the conference's freshman of the year award. On the national stage, he was a consensus freshman All-American.

The Journal Sentinel could not confirm the ESPN report Sunday night, but all indications have been that Ellenson would leave for the NBA. He was one of the top high school recruits in the country before arriving at Marquette and as a 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and strong ball-handling abilities as well as the ability to shoot from the outside, he's the type of high-ceiling player NBA teams covet.

Should Ellenson indeed sign with an agent, he would not be able to change his mind and return to Marquette. In January, the NCAA adopted a new rule that underclassmen would be allowed to declare for the draft and return to school within 10 days of the conclusion of the NBA draft combine in May if they did not sign an agent.

Most projections have Ellenson slotted as a lottery pick in the June draft, with many placing him in the top 10. Of the underclassmen expected to go in the top 10, LSU's Ben Simmons and Providence's Kris Dunn have already signed agents and Kentucky's Jamal Murray has expressed his intent to do so. Utah's Jakob Poeltl has been reported to be in talks with agents as well.

Even if Ellenson were to slip down the board on draft night, there's no likely scenario where he would fall out of the first round. First-round picks receive guaranteed contracts for the first two seasons with team options and scheduled salary bumps for years three and four.

The report of Ellenson's departure came on the same day as Marquette landed a commitment from four-star guard Markus Howard. Howard is a top-40 recruit who will graduate early from high school and reclassify to join the Golden Eagles this fall.

Marquette returns 10 scholarship players from this year's team, including junior guard Andrew Rowsey who sat out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Golden Eagles have already signed 6-foot-6 Stevens Point sharpshooter Sam Hauser, who will begin his freshman year in the fall.

With Ellenson's departure, Marquette will have one available roster spot to work with heading into the spring signing period, which begins on April 13.