On a day that the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team was suppose to celebrate their Final Four season at a positive end-of-the-year banquet, some sad but expected news was made official Monday. Junior forward Thomas Robinson announced, in a press conference at Allen Fieldhouse, that he was declaring for the 2012 NBA Draft.
"I think it's beyond words what this program meant to me," Robinson said.
According to many draft and NBA experts, the 6-foot-10, 237 points Robinson is expected to be a lottery pick, and could go has high as No. 2-overall. And for a player who helped lead the Jayhawks to the National Championship Game, earlier in the month, and is helping take care of his nine-year-old sister, Jayla, its hard to argue against him leaving school to chase his boyhood dreams.
"He's done everything plus some for this program...As loved as anybody whose played here in long time," head coach Bill Self said at the presser (via Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star).
When asked about where he'd like to play in the NBA next season, Robinson responded:
"I don't care where I be," said Robinson, who's from Washington D.C and its likely the Wizard will have a high draft pick. "Where I am, I'll make the best of it."
For more on Thomas Robinson entering the NBA Draft, check back to the SB Nation Kansas City StoryStream. Also, check out the SB Nation blog, Rock Chalk Talk, to discuss Robinson's move.