Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson announced Monday, after accepting an NIT bid, that starting All-SEC big man and projected NBA first-round pick Daniel Gafford will not play in the tournament and has declared for the NBA draft.

Though Anderson said in his press conference that he believes in "starting what you finish," he said he supports Gafford's decision to the fullest and is proud of him achieving his dreams.

Despite the team's 17-14 record this season, Gafford had a lot of personal success and he ends his Arkansas career with 955 points (4.3ppg), 7.4 rpg and 141 blocked shots while shooting 63.5 percent from the field. Gafford's field goal percentage is second in school history behind Oliver Miller.

Gafford already extended his stay in the NCAA by one year after being a projected high pick in last year's NBA draft as well.

"I can't thank Coach Anderson and the Razorback coaching staff enough for two great years in my development both as a player and a person. It has been a fun ride, but the time has come for me to move on to the next state of my career and declare for the NBA draft. Growing up in this state, I dreamed about playing for the University of Arkansas. It has been an honor to wear that jersey and represent this state. Thank you to everyone at the university, thank you to Razorback nation, and most importantly, thank you to all my teammates that have pushed me, supported me and helped make me the player I am today."

SUBSCRIBE to HawgBeat and get access to exclusive prospect interviews, the best recruiting network in the industry, inside scoops on recruiting and team news, videos, podcasts and much more.

Join the discussion on THE TROUGH, the Arkansas Rivals premium message board for thousands of Hog fans.