DeAndre Liggins heard all he needed to convince him that the time was right to jump to the NBA.

The University of Kentucky guard will forgo his senior season and remain in the NBA draft, the school announced Sunday night.

“Coach (John Calipari) encouraged me to come back for my senior season, but based on the feedback I got from NBA personnel, I felt it was in the best interests of me and my family to stay in the draft,” Liggins said in a release. “I learned a lot in my three years here at Kentucky, and I appreciate all the support I got from the people at UK as well as the Big Blue Nation.”

The 6-foot-6 Liggins is known for his strong perimeter defense. He received Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America honors and was named the Yahoo! Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats with 46 steals. He also had 28 blocked shots.