Updated

North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie says he's skipping his final season and entering the NBA draft.

Leslie made the announcement at a news conference Monday morning.

The 6-foot-9 forward was the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. He averaged a team-high 15 points to go with 7.4 rebounds while shooting nearly 52 percent from the floor. He was a third-team all-ACC pick by both the media and the coaches.

Leslie started 85 of his 99 career games.

Leslie's decision comes four days after junior point guard Lorenzo Brown said he was going to the draft.

N.C. State was the preseason ACC favorite for the first time since the 1974-75 season but lost to Temple in its NCAA tournament opener.