The Connecticut Huskies announced Tuesday that sophomore forward Jeremy Lamb will forego his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the 2012 NBA Draft.

"It was a difficult decision, but after much prayer and discussion with my parents, I feel that it's in the best interest of me and my family to declare myself eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft and pursue my dream of playing professional basketball," Lamb said as quoted in the school's press release. "I have very much enjoyed my two years at UConn, especially getting to experience one of the greatest feelings that a college player can have, winning the national championship."

During his two seasons at UConn, Lamb scored 1,060 points to become just the sixth sophomore in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He contributed significantly to a national championship during his freshman year, then averaged 17.7 points to lead the team in scoring as a sophomore.

"It's never easy to lose a great player from your program, but Jeremy has a unique opportunity that he needs to take advantage of," coach Jim Calhoun said. "He's been a great kid to coach for the past two years ... his teams have won 52 games, been to two NCAA Tournaments, and won a national championship. I look forward to him developing into a terrific player in the NBA and secondly, as he's promised me, to come back and finish his degree."