UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad has announced that he will leave school for the NBA.

The Pac-12 co-freshman of the year was the leading scorer for the Bruins with 17.9 points per game.

"I am so thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at UCLA and will always be proud to be a Bruin," Muhammad said in a statement released by the school. "From a young age, I have dreamed of playing in the NBA, and I believe that this is the right time for me to move to the next level."

Steve Alford revealed that he has not had any contact with Shabazz Muhammad since being named coach of UCLA last month.

"I have not spoken to him," Alford said. "I've seen everybody else and spoken to everybody else. I've placed some phone calls but I have not been able to touch base with him."

Muhammad has yet to make a formal announcement.

"I'm assuming that it's pretty clear," Alford said. "All projections have him as a lottery pick, so I assume he's going."