STORRS, Conn. (AP) — University of Connecticut sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb announced Tuesday that he has declared for the NBA draft.

Lamb led the Huskies in scoring last season at 17.7 points per game, and was a key part of the team that won the NCAA championship in 2011.

“It was a difficult decision, but after much prayer and discussion with my parents, I feel that it’s in the best interest of me and my family to declare myself eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft and pursue my dream of playing professional basketball,” Lamb said in a statement released by UConn. “I have very much enjoyed my two years at UConn, especially getting to experience one of the greatest feelings that a college player can have, winning the national championship.”

Lamb, a 19-year-old from Norcross, Ga., became just the sixth sophomore in UConn history to score 1,000 career points. On his way to becoming the team’s scoring leader last season, he also averaged 4.9 rebounds and was selected to the All Big East first team.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun said he looks forward to seeing Lamb develop into a “terrific player” in the NBA.

“It’s never easy to lose a great player from your program, but Jeremy has a unique opportunity that he needs to take advantage of,” Calhoun said. “He’s been a great kid to coach for the past two years.”

The 6-foot-5 Lamb ranks No. 42 on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,060 points. He is the 11th player in UConn history to score as many as 600 points (603) in one season.

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