Missouri Tigers Jordan Clarkson walks off the court as the Illinois Illini begin to celebrate their 65-64 win in the Annual Braggin' Rights Game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on December 21, 2103.   UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Missouri Tigers Jordan Clarkson walks off the court as the Illinois Illini begin to celebrate their 65-64 win in the Annual Braggin’ Rights Game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on December 21, 2103. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Mizzou Basketball’s Jordan Clarkson announced that he will forgo his final collegiate season to make himself eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft. As a junior, Clarkson ranked second on the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game, and led the team with 3.4 assists.

“It’s hard to find the right words to say because this coaching staff, my teammates, this school and these fans have been so incredible to me during my two years here at Mizzou,” Jordan Clarkson said in a statement. “Obviously this was not an easy decision for me and my family, but it felt like the right time to take this step in my career, especially with graduation this spring. I will always cherish the memories from my time here at Mizzou.”

Clarkson was a Second Team All-SEC selection and was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list in January. He finished among the SEC’s Top 10 in several statistical categories, including scoring (seventh, 17.5), assists (seventh, 3.4), field goal percentage (ninth, .447), assist/turnover ratio (ninth, 1.3) and minutes played (third, 35.1).

“It’s been a challenging few months for Jordan and his family, but I am so proud of the way he has handled adversity and has really grown, not just as a basketball player, but as a young man,” Head Coach Frank Haith said in a statement.

Before playing at Mizzou, Clarkson spent two seasons at the University of Tulsa, averaging 16.5 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore.

The departure of Clarkson opens up a scholarship for Haith.