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Bam Adebayo to stay in 2017 NBA Draft

Brian Spurlock / USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky added another name to its NBA pipeline on Tuesday, as Bam Adebayo announced he's signing with an agent and will stay in the 2017 NBA Draft.

"I want to thank my teammates. I couldn't have asked for a better group to grow with," Adebayo said in a statement. "We were all like brothers. I also want to thank the fans for their support and everything they do for us. Their passion is like nothing I've ever seen before."

Adebayo initially declared that he would test the NBA draft waters without signing with an agent, but has obviously received a positive grade from teams through the process.

The 6-foot-9 240-pounder came to Kentucky as a five-star prospect ranked fifth in the entire class of 2016. He joined fellow top-10 freshman De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk in leading the Wildcats to a 32-6 season which ended with a loss to eventual champion North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

Adebayo averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game throughout the season and is currently listed as the 31st-best prospect in the draft by Draft Express.

The 19-year-old joins fellow Wildcats Fox, Monk, Isaiah Briscoe, Isaac Humphries, and Hamidou Diallo in declaring early for the draft.

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