Northwestern star G Boo Buie enters name in NBA draft

Northwestern standout guard Boo Buie announced Sunday night that he is declaring for the NBA draft but will retain his college eligibility.

Buie averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34 games this season while earning first-team All-Big-Ten honors in voting by the media. He knocked down 64 3-pointers while helping Northwestern reach the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history.

"Northwestern basketball has given me so much -- even when everyone believed we would be nothing," Buie said in his post on Twitter. "It has given me teammates and brothers for life. It has given me friendships and connections with coaches that will last forever. I want to thank Coach (Chris) Collins and the rest of his staff for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play at the highest level when no one else did."

Overall, Buie has averages of 13.4 points, 3.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 115 games (94 starts) for the Wildcats. He has made 198 3-pointers and recorded 94 steals.

The success comes after Buie was a largely unwanted high school player at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine. The Wildcats were the lone major program to offer him a scholarship.

"I didn't need anyone to believe in me, I believed in myself," Buie said.