NBA Draft 2019: Virginia star Ty Jerome to forgo senior season

The Virginia junior guard took to Instagram on Monday to announce he will hire an agent and enter the NBA Draft.

View this post on Instagram

The last three years at Virginia have been everything I could have dreamed of in a college experience. When Coach Bennett recruited me he said he would never stop challenging me to improve, on and off the court - and he meant it. He did that every single day, and he made me a better basketball player and better man. I am eternally grateful to him and the entire coaching staff, and fans. I also want to give a special thank you to our strength coach, coach Curtis and our athletic trainer, Ethan Saliba; the best in the business! I came to Virginia to win a national championship and to be able to do that with my brothers is a dream come true. And to the best fans in college basketball - we would not have done it without you. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank my mom, dad, brother and entire family. The time, effort and love they have given me is truly a gift, and I would not have had this opportunity without them. I have had a ball in my hand basically since the day I was born. My dream has always been to play in the NBA. Therefore, after speaking with my family and coaches and giving it a lot of thought, I know it’s the right time to announce that I will be entering the NBA draft and signing with an agent. I will forever be a wahoo? UVA, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

A post shared by Ty Jerome (@tyjerome_) on Apr 15, 2019 at 7:58am PDT

"After talking to my family, coaching staff and thinking about it a lot, I've decided to forgo my senior year of college and declare for the 2019 NBA draft," Jerome said in the video. "From Day 1, I always dreamed about playing at this level since I picked up a basketball, playing in the ACC, playing against Duke and [North] Carolina. This program was everything I could have possibly dreamed of."

While Jerome can still return to school next season under new rules for potential draftees, one source close to the program told ESPN "he's gone."

Jerome, 21, averaged 13.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds last season.

He averaged 16.5 points per game and connected on 40% of his 3-point attempts during the NCAA Tournament as he helped lead the Cavaliers to their first national championship following a 85-77 overtime win against Texas Tech.