On Thursday, he finally said, "Yes," when he announced he would make himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft.

Following a sophomore season in which McRoberts showed off his considerable passing skills but struggled as an inside scorer, his decision to leave now is a risky one.

NBA scouts, to whom The N&O has spoken in recent weeks, said McRoberts did not help himself this season and may have fallen out of the draft lottery.

McRoberts had been touted as a lottery pick in each of the past two years. His 2005 class was the last to have the option to jump from high school to the NBA.

Online mock drafts, posted before Thursday's announcement, had McRoberts going 18th (NBADraft.net), 11th (InsideHoops.com) or seventh (DraftExpress.com).

"When he went to Duke two years ago, he was so pushed to enter the draft," said Pete Smith, who coached McRoberts at Carmel (Ind.) High School, and remains a family friend and mentor.

"He felt he wanted to play for [Duke coach Mike] Krzyzewski and, when the time was right, he would go. What I'm saying is where he goes [in the draft] ... has never been a consideration."

McRoberts could not be reached for comment on Thursday. He said, in a release, that the decision was a difficult one and that he would miss Duke.

McRoberts' departure does for incoming freshman Kyle Singler what Shavlik Randolph's departure for the NBA in 2005 did for McRoberts.

It clears a path for Singler, a 6-foot-8 forward from South Medford, Ore., to play that forward position. Taylor King, another recruit with size (6-7) out of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is more of a shooter.

One thing McRoberts didn't have this season was a player on the other side of the post to draw some attention. David McClure was too small at 6-6. Lance Thomas, 6-8, was too raw to force teams to abandon McRoberts.

So losing McRoberts makes it even more important for Duke to land 6-8, 228-pound power forward prospect Patrick Patterson.

Patterson, the 2006 West Virginia player of the year, is a solid, physical player -- the type Duke missed in 2006-07.

Without an improved Thomas or Patterson to keep people honest on the other side, Singler, who also plays an inside-outside game, could be in for what McRoberts faced this season.

How that scoring forward plays amidst those challenges again will determine how Duke fares.

Smith said McRoberts will completely shut the door on his Duke career. McRoberts is in the process of hiring an agent.

Once he does, he will not have the option to return to Duke.

Krzyzewski concurred with McRoberts after speaking with him and his mother, Jennifer, on Tuesday.

"Josh has been a terrific player for us for the past two years and he will be even better in the future as a professional," Krzyzewski said in a statement released by the athletics department on Thursday.

"Based on our information, it is time for him to move on to the next level and we are ready to help him in any and every way during this process."

McRoberts will finish out the semester at Duke and will have 60 percent of his coursework for graduation completed by the end of the spring.

After deferring to then senior Shelden Williams in 2005-06, McRoberts showed a versatile set of skills as a passing big man.

He earned a spot on the All-ACC second team after ranking second on the team in points (13.0 per game) and assists (114). He also led the team in rebounds (7.9 per game) and blocks (2.5 per game) and in field goal percentage (.502).

But this Duke team, the one McRoberts captained with DeMarcus Nelson and Greg Paulus, had a mediocre season.

The Blue Devils (22-11) finished seventh in the ACC and exited the NCAA Tournament in the first round. Both were the worst Duke had done since 1996.