King told reporters in Philadelphia that he is transferring to a school he originally considered. He will have to sit out a season because of transfer rules.

"Nothing against Duke, but it's time for a change," King told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I needed to explore other places. Villanova is a true family atmosphere where everyone's got each other's back."

King starred at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., where he became the fourth-leading scorer in state history and was voted Mr. Basketball after his senior season.

At Duke, King played in all 34 games and averaged 5.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2007-08. His 43 3-pointers rank eighth all-time among Duke freshmen. His breakout game came with a 27-point barrage against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 25.

But his shooting touch came and went, and he was unable to maintain playing time behind senior DeMarcus Nelson, junior Greg Paulus and sophomores Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson.

King told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he believed he'd be better prepared for the "next level" playing at Villanova.

"I didn't feel that at Duke I was in the right position to get to the next level," he told the Inquirer. "... It's not that Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] wouldn't, because he's done it his whole career, but I think Villanova is where I fit the best."