Julius Randle Officially Declares for the 2014 NBA Draft

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After one year at the University of Kentucky and an NCAA final four appearance, freshman power forward Julius Randle will forgo his remaining eligibility and declare for the NBA draft.

Randle was a part of the 2013 Kentucky freshman class that was considered to be the greatest recruiting class in NCAA history. Starting off No. 1 overall in the preseason rankings, the Wildcats finished the year with a disappointing 29-11 record. Led by Randle, Kentucky made it all the way to the championship game in the tournament as a No. 8 seed, beating the likes of Wichita State, Wisconsin and Michigan.

“I would like to thank the entire Kentucky family for this year,” Randle said on his Twitter page. “But I have decided to take the next step and enter into the NBA draft.”

I would like to thank the entire Kentucky family for this year, but I have decided to take the next step and enter into the NBA draft. — Julius Randle (@J30_RANDLE) April 22, 2014

At the press conference to announce his decision to leave Kentucky, Randle said that playing in the NBA was always a dream of his ever since he was a kid.

“Kentucky will always have a special place in my heart, but growing up as a kid, there’s always been my dream to play in the NBA, and there’s no better opportunity for me to achieve that than now,” Randle said.

The huge expectations coming into his freshman year were met by Randle’s consistency to score and rebound the basketball. Playing an average of 30.8 minutes a game last season, Randle averaged 15 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game with a field goal percentage of 50 percent and a free throw percentage of 70 percent. The 19-year old also played a big part in Kentucky’s tournament run, totaling four double-doubles in six games played.

“I came here to win a national championship. I came here to mature on and off the court, and I did that,” Randle said to Chad Ford of ESPN.com. “I came (up) one game short of winning a national championship, we did as a team. But everything we went through this year was just an experience I’ll never forget. That alone kept me at peace.”

The Dallas, Texas native didn’t perform at that level of greatness overnight. As a high school senior, Randle was ranked as one of the top recruits in the class of 2013. He was a 5-star prospect according to ESPN’s Recruiting Nation and the No. 3 ranked player behind Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Winning three state basketball championships, Randle averaged 32.5 points and 22.5 rebounds per game during his senior year. His accomplishments on the court helped him earn a spot on the McDonald’s All-American team.

Now that it’s official, where is Randle projected to go in the upcoming NBA draft? Kenny DeJohn of BleacherReport.com has the 6-foot-9 underclassman being selected by the Boston Celtics at No. 5.

“Selecting a point guard here might make sense to some people, but there is more depth at the position later in the first round,” DeJohn said. “At No. 5, the Boston Celtics need to be bold and draft a game-changer.

“Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk are already on the roster, but adding Julius Randle into the mix is a great move for the future,” DeJohn added. “Stockpiling trade chips is never a bad idea, especially for a team that’s rebuilding. Either Sullinger or Olynyk could be on the move this summer if Randle is taken.”

Senior writer Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated also has Randle going to the Celtics with the fifth pick. He writes that despite Randle’s short wingspan of 6-foot-11, his offensive talent in the paint will be hard for teams in the lottery to pass up.

“Boston has two young power forward prospects in Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, but Randle’s potential could be too much to pass up,” Mannix said. “Randle possesses a diverse offensive repertoire. He can score inside and out, drawing comparisons ranging from Zach Randolph to Michael Beasley. The Celtics figure to be active in trade talks this summer, so increasing the team’s frontcourt depth should not be an issue. “

Zach Libby is an NBA columnist for Tru School Sports. Follow him on Twitter @Zach__Libby.