Deshaun Thomas will forego his senior season of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.

"My three years at Ohio State have been the best years of my life,” Thomas said in a statement released by the school. “I have grown tremendously as an individual and as a basketball player. I intend to return to finish my degree, but I believe that now is the best opportunity to pursue my dream and begin my career as a professional basketball player.”

Thomas, a 6-foot-7 forward, is projected as a late-first to early-second round pick.

Thomas led the Buckeyes while scoring 19.8 points per game this season, and finished ninth on Ohio State's all-time scoring list with 1,630 points.