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Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams talks with the media in the locker room following the team's loss to Michigan in the Final Four.

(Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse's sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams will declare for the 2013 draft.

"Michael has informed me of his intention to enter the NBA Draft," SU coach Jim Boeheim said in a statement issued by the SU sports information office. "He's coming off a tremendous season and we appreciate all he's done for Syracuse basketball. We wish Michael the best of luck as he pursues a pro career."

Carter-Williams, the MVP of the East Regional in this year's NCAA Tournament, is projected to be selected within the top 13 picks of the upcoming draft.

Because of his projected draft status, the 6-foot-6 guard had been expected to leave Syracuse after this season. He started all 40 games for the Orange this year and finished fifth nationally in assist average (7.3) and steals average (2.78). He also averaged 11.9 points per game.

Asked after his Syracuse team had lost to Michigan in Saturday's national semifinals whether he had set a timetable about when he might decide his draft status, Carter-Williams said he had not. But on Wednesday, he issued this statement through SU's sports information office:

His mother, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, said her son's close relationships with players and coaches on his team caused him pause. SU's Final Four run through the NCAA Tournament this year heightened the joy that college basketball brings to players, Carter-Zegarowski said. He was reluctant, she said, to part with the college experience.

"That was really weighing on him — are we ready to give all of that up?," Carter-Zegarowski said. "It was a tough decision. His teammates are a really special group of players and friends. From the basketball perspective, he really loved being a part of this team."

Carter-Zegarowski said her son matured in his two years at Syracuse with the help of Orange coaches. She said he felt badly about abandoning a program that rose to such heights this season.

"He talked with us and he talked with the coaches," Carter-Zegarowski said. "And I think there was definitely a feeling that this was the year for him to come out. I still think it's a risk. I think it's a shame that they have seven days to decide (their basketball futures)."

The NBA deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2013 draft is April 28. Players who declare today and do not sign with an agent have until April 16 to reconsider and retain their college eligibility. Carter-Zegarowski said that likely will not happen with her son. "We're pretty sure," she said.

Carter-Williams has appeared on NBA Draft boards all season because of his rangy size, his ability to locate teammates and his athleticism. For much of this season, Carter-Williams led the nation in assists. He has struggled this year to find a consistent outside shooting touch, registering 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.

His high school coach at St. Andrew's Prep in Rhode Island, Michael Hart, said he counsels his former players to stay in college and earn their degrees. But Hart and Carter-Zegarowski said Carter-Williams is ahead of schedule in terms of graduating from SU and will likely finish his degree requirements in the future.

Carter-Zegarowski, an educator and a high school coach, said her son promised her he would get his degree, something she said he could accomplish through online work.

"That decision is between his family members, his coaching staff and himself," Hart said. "If he's gotten good advice and feels like he can get drafted, then I'm happy for him. I think his game will be even better as a pro."

Hart said he fielded a steady stream of inquiries from NBA scouts all year about Carter-Williams. Very rarely, said Hart, did those discussions involve Carter-Williams' athletic abilities.

Those scouts, said Hart, wanted to know whether Carter-Williams participated in school activities and whether he had presented the coaching staff at St. Andrew's with any problems. The point guard had been involved in a widely publicized shoplifting incident at Lord & Taylor last year.

"Those were easy ones," Hart said about questions of Carter-Williams' character. "He was a very solid citizen here."

Carter-Williams turns 22 in October. His mother worries that draft boards do not always accurately forecast the order players will be picked in the June NBA Draft. But her son has always wanted to play in the NBA. And after discussing his situation and all its attendant possibilities, he has decided to join that basketball fraternity.

"This has always been his dream. I'm so proud of him and so thrilled that he's in a position to make that come true," Carter-Zegarowski said. "And Syracuse is a huge part of making that happen. It has been wonderful for our whole family. It truly is special. And we'll miss that."

With Carter-Williams' departure, Tyler Ennis becomes the presumptive starting point guard for the Orange next season. Ennis, a 6-foot-3 senior at St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, is slated to play in the Jordan Brand Classic All-America game Saturday at 8 p.m. ESPN2 will televise the event.

St. Benedict's coach Mark Taylor said Ennis averaged more than 20 points and eight assists this season -- on a team that averaged about 80 points per game. Ennis has signed a letter-of-intent to play for SU.