Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell has opted to forgo the final two seasons of his collegiate eligibility and stay in the NBA Draft.

Mitchell made the announcement on Instagram.

Mitchell was the quintessential breakout sophomore star in 2016-17, averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He upped all those averages after spending most of his freshman season as a role player, and after an especially strong performance during conference play, wound up being named First Team All-ACC.

That increase in production, plus Mitchell's off-the chart athleticism, has understandably caught the eye of more than a few NBA scouts and executives. He is currently projected as a solid first round selection, with many mock drafts having him appear in the top 20. Mitchell will participate in next week’s NBA Draft Combine.

Obviously this is an enormous blow to Louisville’s 2017-18 national title hopes, and leaves the Cardinals in a position where they’ll need a number of players to step up enormously in order to replace Mitchell’s production.

Best of luck to Donovan with his next move. We’ll all be rooting for you.