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John Jenkins to leave Vanderbilt, enter the NBA Draft

NCAA Basketball Tournament - Harvard v Vanderbilt

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - MARCH 15: John Jenkins #23 of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots against Christian Webster #15 of the Harvard Crimson in the second half of the game during the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at The Pit on March 15, 2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Vanderbilt won 79-70 in regulation. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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John Jenkins will be foregoing his final year of eligibility as he will enter his name into consideration for the NBA Draft, per a release from the school.

“This was a very difficult decision for my family and I to make, but I am ready to dedicate myself fully to achieving my dream of playing in the NBA,” said Jenkins. “The last three years have been the time of my life, and I will always cherish my time at Vanderbilt and the relationships I have made along the way.”

This decision doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Jenkins, along with seniors Jeff Taylor and Festus Ezeli, shocked the nation when they jointly decided to return to school for another chance at postseason glory.

And depending on how you look at it, the season was a success. While it is difficult to be satisfied with a 25-11 season and a 10-6 finish in a down year in the SEC, Vanderbilt not only shook off their NCAA tournament demons by advancing to the round of 32, they won the SEC tournament with a come-from-behind victory against national champion Kentucky.

On a personal level, Jenkins had plenty of success the last two years. He’s led the SEC in scoring the last two seasons and tied former-Commodore Shan Foster’s record for 134 3-pointers in a single season.

Draft Express currently projects Jenkins as the second pick of the second round.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.