San Diego State junior Jamaal Franklin has elected to enter this year's NBA draft, forgoing his remaining year of college eligibility, the school announced today in a press release. Franklin will hire an agent, meaning he won't have the opportunity to withdraw.
Franklin, 21, projects as a likely first-round pick in June, ranked 18th among prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and 25th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. The 6'5" guard played well in the NCAA Tournament, recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals in San Diego State's loss to Florida Gulf Coast in the round of 32. For the season, Franklin averaged 17.0 PPG, along with 9.5 RPG, an exceptional rebounding rate for a shooting guard.
Franklin becomes the second underclassmen to declare his intent today, with Myck Kabongo of Texas also headed to the NBA. You can keep tabs on all of this year's early entrants right here.