University of Colorado basketball star Alec Burks has officially declared himself eligible for the upcoming 2011 NBA Draft. Burks announced his decision in a press conferencee held at the University on Thursday afternoon.
CU star Alec Burks announced is declaring for the NBA draft. #buffsless than a minute ago via TweetDeck 
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Chris Dempsey
dempseypost
Even with an impending labor dispute threatening to postpone the upcoming NBA season, Burks decided that he is an NBA-ready player right now. Few would dispute him. The Buffs star led the team to their best season ever, with a school record 24 wins and a trip to the National Invitational Tournament. He was an unanimous Big-12 selection, and a finalist for the John Wooden Award this season as a sophomore.
The University of Colorado will now make the transition into the Pac-12 Conference next season without his services, though they still have many talented young players on the roster including Andre Roberson and several young guard transfers that will become eligible for the 2011-2012 season. Head Coach Tad Boyle should have no lack of qualified players, though it will be difficult to replace Burks' production.
Multiple mock drafts project Burks to be a lottery selection in the upcoming draft, held on June 23.