Maryland sophomore All-American forward Jalen 'Stix' Smith will forgo his final two years of college eligibility and declare for the NBA Draft, he announced on Tuesday.

“After consultation with my family and coaches, I am thankful and grateful to announce that the time is right for me to move forward to the next phase in my basketball career and declare for the 2020 NBA Draft,” Smith said in a statement. “I am thankful to the coaches and staff at the University of Maryland who afforded me the opportunity to stay home to receive an education and play basketball at the college of my dreams. I’m also thankful to my brothers who donned the Terrapin uniform with me at XFINITY Center and to the best fans in all of college sports, Terp Nation.”

A consensus All-American this past season, Smith averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as a sophomore. He led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally with 21 double-doubles in helping Maryland to a share of the program's first-ever regular-season Big Ten title.

A 2020 First-Team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team selection, Smith was the only player in the country to record 60 blocks and 30 made 3-pointers.

“I am thrilled for Jalen and his family for making such an important and exciting decision,” said head coach Mark Turgeon. “From the minute we started recruiting Jalen, we knew the kind of quality player and person we would be getting and he lived up to it in every way. As incredible of a player Jalen is on the court, he is that and more as an individual off the court. We will miss him in College Park. I cannot wait to watch Jalen at the next level and I wish him and his family nothing but the best on their journey.”

Smith is looking to become the sixth player drafted by the NBA in the last five seasons for the Terps, with former teammate Bruno Fernando the most recent to be drafted last year 34th overall by the Atlanta Hawks. Smith would be the 61st player drafted to the NBA in Maryland history.