There were some questions as to whether or not Duke star Jabari Parker would declare for the 2014 NBA Draft but he made it official with an announcement today.

There was word that Parker felt he had unfinished business at Duke after the 3-seed Blue Devils suffered an upset and first round exit from the NCAA tourney by the 14-seed Mercer Bears.  Parker shot 4/14 from the field and racked up 4 turnovers and 4 personal fouls.  He was benched during vital points of the game with many people questioning his often absent defensive skills.

Final game aside however, Parker is still one the best picks in what’s considered a loaded draft and one of the best in recent years.   He was named a Consensus First-Team All-American, the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year.  He finished averaging 19.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 1.2 apg shooting 47.3% from the field.

Here’s his formal statement:

“Coming out of high school, I knew that Duke was going to be a great fit for me and it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life,” Parker said in a school-released statement. “I cannot thank Coach K enough for all his love and guidance. I had the opportunity to pick his brain throughout the year and it really paid off. I have learned how to be a man on and off the court and to be strong mentally going into practices and games. I appreciate him for challenging me to be better each and every day.”

-Shaina Auxilly (@Shay_Marie)