City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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DeAndre Bembry is turning pro, and he’s not looking back.

The Saint Joseph’s star wing is leaving for the NBA and hiring an agent, forgoing his senior year of eligibility after three tremendous years on Hawk Hill.

His stock is certainly at its high point right now, after the 6-foot-6, 210-pound wing led St. Joe’s into the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament, where the Hawks gave No. 1 seed Oregon all they could handle before falling just short of the Sweet 16.

This past season, Bembry averaged 17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.5 apg for the Hawks, who went 28-8 overall, including 13-5 in the Atlantic 10. After beating GW, Dayton and VCU to win the A-10 championship, St. Joe's beat Cinci in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to the Ducks.

It was the second time during Bembry's three seasons that St. Joe's made the NCAA Tournament; they also won two Atlantic 10 tournaments, doing so in 2014 and again this year.

The Daily News’ Dick Jerardi broke the news, accompanied by a statement from Bembry himself:

"I have officially declared for the draft, and I've signed with an agent. This decision was extremely difficult, but at this point I want to focus all of my attention on the next phase of my basketball career and I'm ready to take this step.

"St. Joe's has been absolutely awesome and I'll always love the fans, players, and coaching staff. Coach Martelli and his staff have been absolutely great for me but now it's time to start this new chapter. I appreciate all the love and support so much and definitely hope it continues in the future. The NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and now that it's within reach, I plan on taking full advantage of the opportunity."

The NCAA changed its rules several months ago to allow non-seniors to declare for the draft and go through the combine before making a final decision as to whether to stay or go, but by hiring an agent he has taken that possibility off the table.

Bembry finishes his SJU career with 1,590 points, which is good for 15th on the school’s all-time scoring list. Had he stayed, he would have been a good bet to pass 12-year pro Jameer Nelson (2,094) for most in the program history.

Said St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli in a statement: “DeAndre’ and his family had serious contemplations and conversations. At the end of the day, it was imperative that they pursue his best interests. His mother and grandfather are tremendous people and I trust that the decision made was done with care and love. I will stand with DeAndre’ forever. He is a truly remarkable young man and a great Hawk.”

The 2015-16 Atlantic 10 and Big 5 Player of the Year also chipped in 672 rebounds, 364 assists and 143 steals in his career, shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 62.8 percent from the foul line.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com currently has Bembry slotted as the No. 32 pick in his 2016 mock draft, which would have the Charlotte, N.C. native going to the Los Angeles Lakers.