Duke saw its first truly surprising exit from the program Thursday evening.
Freshman guard DJ Steward announced on Twitter that he's declaring for the NBA Draft with the intent to sign an agent.
Steward was named to the ACC All-Freshman team this past season after leading all of the conference's freshmen with 13 points per game. He also added 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest.
Nevertheless, the Chicago native projects as nothing higher than second-round pick in the upcoming draft, with many surprised he declared at all.
"DJ had an incredible freshman season and he has so much more potential," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a release. "He is going to keep getting better and better and I can't wait to watch his professional career develop. DJ will be an asset to any NBA team with an attitude and energy that make him very easy and enjoyable to coach. He came in every day with a smile on his face and he represented himself, his family and our program so well. I loved coaching DJ and wish him our best as he prepares for the next step in his career."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.