Mar 20, 2007, 18:25 GMT
Baton Rouge, LA - LSU forward Glen 'Big Baby' Davis has declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft.
Davis said last week he was contemplating whether to leave school a year early and LSU head coach John Brady added that he was gathering some information from NBA scouts to help the 6-foot-9 junior make his decision.
'I now feel I am physically and mentally ready for the NBA,' Davis said Tuesday at a press conference.
Davis considered leaving last year after a sophomore season that included LSU's improbable run to the Final Four. He averaged 18.6 points and 9.7 rebounds during the 2005-06 season and was named the SEC Player of the Year.
In 2006-07, Davis averaged 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds as the Tigers struggled to a mark of 17-15 and missed the postseason completely.
'Last year our team had great success,' Davis added. 'I was fortunate to be on one of LSU's four Final Four teams. One of my reasons for not leaving last year was my hope I could go even further this year. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.'
Davis also announced that he will sign with an agent, leaving him no option to return to school.
'This is a life long dream of mine and one that I have given a great deal of thought to,' Davis continued. 'I feel I grew a lot this season and I know in my heart that the time is right.'
In 95 games over three years with the Tigers, Davis averaged 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds.
'He has had three outstanding years at LSU,' Brady said Tuesday. 'He was SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year his sophomore year. He went through some things this year that were out of his control and limited some of the things he could do.'
Davis, a Baton Rouge native, was a first-team All-SEC player this past season despite missing four games late in the season with a strained quad muscle. He was third in the SEC in scoring and led the league in rebounding for the second straight season.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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