Kevin Durant Declares for NBA Draft

Texas Longhorn All-American Freshman Kevin Durant is expected to declare for the NBA draft today according to a source close to the star forward.

A press conference announcing his intentions will be held at 4.pm. Texas officials would not comment and messages left for his family were not immediately returned.

Durant is expected to be among the top two players chosen in the upcoming NBA draft, along with 7 foot Ohio State Center Greg Oden, who has yet to announce his draft intentions.

Durant hasn't commented about the decision recently, but many expected there was a good chance that he would return to Texas for his sophomore season. Texas coach Rick Barnes said Monday night at the team's annual banquet that he thought Durant would make a quick decision.

Players must declare for the June 28 NBA draft no later than April 29.

"I've always told him to follow his heart," Barnes said. "In the end you have to follow your heart."

It is believed that Durant enjoys college and his teammates and would like to stay with the 'Horns, but the millions from an NBA contract and lucrative endorsement deals were too much to pass up.

Durant has made history with the Longhorns in just one season. He is the second-highest scoring freshman in the history of the NBA, just behind LSU's Chris Jackson in 1989. Durant holds the school and Big 12 single-season record for points in a season.

He also led the Big 12 in scoring, rebounds, blocked shots, and double-doubles in his freshman season. He was also the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 nationally in both scoring and rebounding.

Durant swept the top six national player of the year awards, including the Wooden Award, The Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award, NABC Player of the Year Award, the Associated Press Player of the Year Award, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. No other freshman has ever won each of those awards.

"He's made history. No one has ever done what he did this year. He swept every major award as a freshman. It's a year we may not ever see again by anybody," Barnes said.