Apr 03, 2014 03:09 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

North Carolina Tar Heels junior forward James Michael McAdoo has announced he will forgo his senior season and declare for the NBA Draft.

McAdoo released a statement, obtained by the Daily Tar Heel, one week after UNC point guard Marcus Paige said he will stay for his junior season.

"I am thankful to God for the opportunities I have had at Carolina," McAdoo said in his statement. "I am thankful for everything I have been blessed to experience from my relationships with Coach Williams and his staff, to my current and former teammates and to the fact that I am so close to earning my degree from such a great school. Without a doubt I plan to come back and finish my degree. That is important to me."

He joins a deep draft class that already includes standout forward/guard hybrid players like Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, T.J. Warren and LaQuinton Ross. Still, players like Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon make that forward class even deeper should they declare.

"I just feel I am ready to play at the next level and excited about that challenge. I had chances to go after my freshman and sophomore years but was more excited about coming back to school then," McAdoo's statement continued. "Right now I am excited about fulfilling my dream to play in the NBA and do what I have to do to take that next step."

McAdoo averaged about 14 points per game in back-to-back seasons for the Tar Heels while averaging 30 minutes on the floor each game. At six-foot-nine, McAdoo was also a fairly successful rebounder, averaging around seven per game in his last two seasons.

"I am extremely happy for James Michael, but at the same time I am sad for me because I won't get a chance to coach that youngster again," coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "He's a wonderful kid who has been a very dependable player and one of the top players in the ACC the past two seasons. Everyone connected to our program has enjoyed getting to know him. He's been extremely important to North Carolina Basketball and Roy Williams. We support him 100 percent in his decision, wish him nothing but the best in his professional career and understand that it is truly important to him and his family that he complete his degree work."

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