Missouri’s Jabari Brown enters name into 2014 NBA draft

Jabari Brown announced on Wednesday that he will enter his name into the NBA draft. The junior can return to the program if he withdraws his name from draft consideration by April 15.

Wednesday Brown officially announced he will stay in the draft.

“This is an exciting day for our family, but it’s also a difficult chapter to close because Mizzou has become an incredible home for me, Brown said.

There isn’t much I would change about my experience at Missouri, but if I could do it all over again, I would have been a Tiger right out of high school. Everyone here embraced me, helped me mature as a student and as a basketball player, and I want to thank Coach Haith, the coaching staff, my teammates, the support staff and our great fans for an incredible college experience.”

Head Coach Frank Haith On Jabari Brown remaining in the NBA Draft:
“We wish Jabari and his family all the best as he takes this exciting step into his professional career,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “Jabari accomplished a great deal during his two seasons at Mizzou and we know he will continue to represent the University of Missouri and our program with tremendous passion and class for many years to come.”

When first announcing his decision to enter the NBA draft Brown said, “This was a step I needed to take in order to make the most educated decision possible with regards to my NBA opportunities,” Jabari Brown said in a statement. “My time here at Mizzou has been incredible. This is a special place and a second home for me. However, I must approach this looking at the bigger picture. This is a decision that impacts my family as well and that is most important to me.”

Brown averaged 20.7 points during SEC play and was the fifth fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. He scored in double figures in all but one game this past season. He scored 30 or more points twice during the 2013-2014 season, putting up 33 points against Kentucky and 30 vs. Davidson in the NIT.

The Oakland, Calif. native is the second Tiger to enter the NBA draft this week. Jordan Clarkson said he will forgo his senior season and declare for the draft.