VILLANOVA, Pa. ââ'¬" Villanova redshirt junior guard/forward Mikal Bridges (Malvern, Pa.) announced his intention to enter the 2018 National Basketball Association Draft and bypass his final season of eligibility this morning on ESPN.

Bridges averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds a game while starting all 40 games for the 2018 NCAA National Champion Wildcats. He converted on .435 of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. In addition, he was a third team All-American selection by The Associated Press and was also named first team All-BIG EAST. On Friday, he was tabbed the winner of the Julius Erving Award as the nation's top small forward.

After enrolling at VU in 2014-15, Bridges sat out his first season as a redshirt in a quest to build strength for the college game. The Malvern, Pa., native then became a key contributor as a reserve to the 2016 NCAA champion Wildcats before moving into a starting role in 2016-17.

Bridges is on schedule to graduate in May.

"Mikal has been an exemplary student-athlete during his four years with us at Villanova," stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. "His work ethic and willingness to accept coaching have helped him grow steadily in his time here. He's a great teammate and leader. I'm confident he will enjoy a very successful professional career."

In three seasons of active duty for the Wildcats, Bridges averaged 11.3 points per game in 116 career outings (1,311 total points). His 163 career steals rank 15th all-time at VU.

The 2017-18 Villanova Men's Basketball season is presented by KeyBank.