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Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope enters the NBA Draft

SEC Georgia LSU Basketball

Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) shoots a 3-point shot as LSU guard Andre Stringer (10) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Thursday, March 14, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

AP

Georgia has lost another talent to the NBA, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope announced on Monday morning that he would be forgoing his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.

“I want to thank the University of Georgia for all it has done for me,” Caldwell-Pope said in a statement. “I want to thank my coaches, teammates and fans for the love and support.”

“It’s been a pleasure to coach Kentavious and to see him grow as both a player and a person,” head coach Mark Fox said. “I wish him nothing but success as he pursues his dreams. He will always be a part of the Georgia family.”

(CLICK HERE to follow along with who is turning pro and who is returning to school.)

Caldwell-Pope is an intriguing prospect, as he’s long and has quite a bit of athleticism but has somewhat pigeon-holed himself as a jump-shooter. He could be a late-first rounder, but he may also drop into the second round of the draft.

The bigger concern is what happens with the Georgia program from here. The Bulldogs, who went 15-17 last season, are losing a guy that averaged 18.5 points and led the team in rebounding, steals and minutes played. With a recruiting class that doesn’t include anyone of note, it looks like it’s going to be a long 2013-2014 season for Fox.

And if the Bulldogs once again struggle, how long will it be before he’s out of a job? He’s had Travis Leslie, Trey Thompkins and Caldwell-Pope come through his program and he has just one NCAA tournament appearance to show for it despite playing in the SEC. With no promising talents in the pipeline, things are not looking good down in Athens.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.