LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons declared for the NBA Draft, LSU officially announced on Monday.
“I’m making it official,” Simmons told ESPN late Sunday night.
According to The Advocate, Simmons’ father, David, confirmed his son would enter the Draft and said signing with an agent “shouldn’t be far off.”
Simmons, who was widely expected to turn professional after his first season at LSU, spearheaded the Tigers to a 19-14 record before LSU voided any chance to compete in a postseason tournament.
The 6-foot-9 Australian tallied 23 double-doubles during his freshman season, tying the third most in Division I history by a rookie player.
Simmons is projected to be a consensus top-two pick, alongside Duke freshman Brandon Ingram, in the Draft’s first round on June 23.
As reported last Monday by Yahoo! Sports, Simmons is expected to sign with LeBron James’, Cleveland-based Klutch Sports Group and James’ agent Rich Paul.
The report listed that Simmons would continue his pre-draft training in either Cleveland or Los Angeles. 
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter: @CBoutwell_TDR.

THIS JUST IN: LSU freshman Ben Simmons tells ESPN he will hire an agent & declare for NBA draft. (via @GoodmanESPN) pic.twitter.com/LckbLtDBoW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 21, 2016