The third of Kentucky's three underclassmen still considering the NBA Draft up until the deadline to enter or withdraw made his decision final Wednesday night.

Jarred Vanderbilt, who played in only 14 games as a freshman with the Wildcats due to two separate foot injuries, announced via Twitter than he will keep his name in the draft.

“Being a professional basketball player has always been a dream of mine,” Vanderbilt said in a statement released by UK. “From the moment I first picked up a basketball when I was 4 years old, I knew it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. These past couple of weeks have been extremely difficult for me. With everything I went through this past season, I’ve had a lot to think about and what’s best for me and my future. Through it all, I’ve become a better man on and off the court.

“First off, I want to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity because without Him, none of this would be possible. I also want to thank all of the people in my life who have supported me throughout this entire process – from my family, to my teammates, to the coaches and UK staff, and most importantly the fans. The relationships I’ve built here will last a lifetime and I will cherish the memories I’ve made here forever.

“After going through the process, I was able to get some positive feedback that confirmed what I had hoped: that my time is now. It is going to be tough to leave this place, but I’ve decided to remain in the NBA Draft and pursue my dreams now.”

The 6-foot-9 native of Houston averaged a team-high 7.9 rebounds as a freshman despite playing only 17 minutes per game. He had five double-figure rebound games, including 15 in a February win over Missouri in which he posted a double-double with 11 points.

Vanderbilt averaged 5.4 points per game.

"Jarred had a difficult decision to make,” UK coach John Calipari said. “I know he has been pulled in two different directions. On one hand he wants to show our fans what he can do in a full season and compete for a championship. I know he feels like he got that taken away from him this year.

"On the other hand, he’s seen how quickly this can be taken away. I completely understand and support his decision to get healthy and pursue his dreams now. As I said before, we’ve only seen a small part of his game because of the adversity he faced this season, but he’s got the motor and skill set that will serve him well at the next level."

Vanderbilt is not projected as a first-round pick, but some analysts have him as a potential second-round choice with high upside.

Earlier in the day, UK's PJ Washington announced he will return to Lexington for his sophomore season, while junior-to-be Wenyen Gabriel chose to remain in the draft.

The departure of two frontcourt players puts a greater spotlight on the transfer story of Stanford's Reid Travis. The 6-foot-8 combo forward, who averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds last season for the Cardinal, is seeking a new program as a grad transfer. UK has been rumored to be his top choice with Villanova being another potential destination.

Travis is approaching 2,000 career points in his college career and would offer another young UK squad some much-needed maturity and experience.