It has just been announced that Duke forward Jayson Tatum has officially declared for the 2017 NBA draft Wednesday after spending just one season with the Blue Devils. Tatum has admitted that it's extremely exciting and nerve-wracking, but it's only just another step closer to a lifelong dream that Tatum has always had and he says that he's happy to be taking it.

According to CBS DFW, Tatum was one of several other highly touted freshmen players who joined Duke for the 2016-17 season, and he didn't disappoint at all, averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the season, while shooting a respectable 45.2 percent from the field.

The St. Louis native was especially impactful when the games mattered most, and he was a key contributor in Duke winning four games in four days to take the ACC tournament title. However, Duke was unable to survive the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, after falling 88-81 to South Carolina in the round of 32.

In just his second collegiate game, Tatum caught fire and put up 22 points to go along with eight rebounds in a win over a Florida team that was high in the ranks all season long. According to WSB Radio, he became more and more consistent as the season went on, and by the time the postseason play rolled out, Tatum was showcasing his impressive talent, showing the college basketball community just why he has highly considered a surefire star entering the 2016-17 season.

Based on the how Tatum plays down the stretch, there wasn't much left for him to prove, which may have triggered his decision to leave Duke and enter the NBA draft. Many experts are already thinking that body-wise and skill set-wise, Tatum is already NBA-ready, and everyone is speculating that he will be among the players who are running to be the No. 1 overall selection.

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