Corey Sanders, the star freshman guard for the Rutgers men's basketball team, has entered his name for this year's NBA Draft, according to his Twitter account.

In a statement posted at 1:37 p.m. Thursday, Sanders noted that he had not hired an agent -- which is a key distinction since players have until May 25 to withdraw their name and return to college as long as they don't hire an agent.

For weeks since Eddie Jordan was fired as Rutgers men's basketball coach, speculation has swirled that Sanders was contemplating a transfer to another school. But that transfer option appears to be on the backburner now that Sanders is focused on testing the NBA waters.

Sanders couldn't be reached for further comment, and new Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell wasn't immediately made available to be interviewed.

In a statement, Pikiell said: "We are excited for Corey and support his decision."

An honorable mention All-Big Ten as a freshman this season, the 6-2, 175-pound Sanders ranked ninth overall and first among Big Ten freshmen in scoring (15.9), while pacing all conference players in steals (1.8) and ranking seventh overall and first among freshmen in assists (4.3).

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.