Chris Walker is cutting his time with the Florida men’s basketball team short.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore forward/center declared for the 2015 NBA Draft on Friday, UF announced in a statement.
“I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at Florida for my experience here,” Walker said in the statement. “I’m excited to continue pursuing my dream of playing professionally.”
A McDonald’s All-American out of Bonifay (Fla.) Holmes County High School, Walker has shown flashes of potential during his two-year collegiate career but struggled to consistently find success.
In 49 career games (six starts), Walker averaged a meager 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
He had just five games with double-digit scoring efforts and led the Gators in rebounds five times.
And while Walker is a career .548 shooter, he only took 146 field goal attempts, with 25 of his 80 made shots coming on dunks.
“Chris has been a pleasure to coach,” UF coach Billy Donovan said in the statement. “He is a great kid with a lot of potential, and everyone here wishes the absolute best for him.”
Walker is the second Florida player to declare for the NBA Draft early, joining junior shooting guard Michael Frazier II.
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Chris Walker jumps for the opening tipoff during Florida's 72-47 win against Mississippi State on Jan. 10, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
