Kentucky's Wenyen Gabriel on Wednesday became the fifth underclassman from the 2017-18 team to declare for the NBA Draft.

The sophomore forward plans to enter his name in the draft pool but will not hire an agent, leaving the door open for a return to the Wildcats.

"My dream has always been to play professionally," Gabriel said in a statement released by UK. "After talking with Coach Cal and the staff, they believe it’s in my best interest to see where I stand in the eyes of the NBA.

"I’m confident I can play at the next level, but I want to be absolutely certain that this is the right decision for me at this time. I know that I have the opportunity to return to school and that I will have the full support of the coaching staff and the Big Blue Nation. No matter what happens, I love this university and all the opportunities it’s been able to provide me."

Gabriel averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds as a sophomore. His 42 3-pointers were the second most on the team, and he shot 40 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-9 native of Sudan also blocked a team-high 40 shots.

"Wenyen knows how much I would like to coach him another year, but I also understand the situation he’s in and his desire to pursue his dreams,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “The great part about this process is Wenyen will know firsthand where he stands with the NBA. If it’s his time and he can continue on the path that he went on this year, he becomes a valuable asset for a team because of his energy, his willingness to do anything to win and his ability to stretch the floor.

"If he needs to return to school, we will continue to push him to be the best version of himself as we try to chase a championship next season. It’s a win-win for him, and he has my full support."

Kentucky freshmen Hamidou Diallo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knox have all declared for the draft and plan to sign with agents, ending their collegiate careers. Freshman forward PJ Washington has also entered his name in the draft but does not plan to hire an agent at this time. Like Gabriel, he could also return to UK.

Gabriel and Washington will have until May 30 (10 days after the draft combine) to make a final decision on staying in the draft or returning to UK. The NBA Draft will be held June 21.