Duke's Mcroberts Declares For NBA Draft

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Duke forward Josh McRoberts declared himself eligible for the NBA draft Thursday.<br/><br/>"I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have had here at Duke," McRoberts said.

Thursday, March 22nd 2007, 1:26 pm

By: News On 6

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Duke forward Josh McRoberts declared himself eligible for the NBA draft Thursday.

"I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have had here at Duke," McRoberts said. "This was a difficult decision, but I feel it is the best one for me and my family at this point in time. I will miss Duke, the coaching staff and my teammates, but it has always been goal of mine to play in the NBA."

Several online draft projections have McRoberts, one of two sophomore team captains for Duke, as an early- to mid-first-round pick. The draft is June 28 in New York.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he supports McRoberts' decision to turn pro.

"In the past couple of days, I've had the opportunity to meet with Josh and his mother," Krzyzewski said. "Josh has been a terrific player for us for the past two years, and he will be even better in the future as a professional. Based on our information, it is time for him to move on to the next level, and we are ready to help him in any and every way during this process."

McRoberts averaged 13 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds for the Blue Devils (22-11).

It was not immediately clear whether he has hired an agent. Underclassmen who do not sign with agents have until June 18 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

McRoberts was second on the team with 114 assists and was the only player in the nation to average at least 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 3.5 assists.

He scored a career-high 22 points in his final game at Duke, a 79-77 loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the first round of the NCAA tournament. That was the Blue Devils' fourth straight loss to end the season.