As expected, Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore will enter the NBA draft

Whitmore is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft in June.

Cam Whitmore of Villanova dunks against Georgetown during the second half of their Big East tournament game at Madison Square Garden on March 8. Whitmore has declared for the NBA draft.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer

Published April 11, 2023, 12:14 p.m. ET

Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore will enter the 2023 NBA draft, he announced in a video with NBA reporter Shams Charania on Tuesday morning.

Whitmore is expected to be a lottery pick and will become Villanova’s first true one-and-done since Tim Thomas in 1997.

“Going to the NBA was my dream, and I’m happy I’m making my dream come true,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore was named the Big East freshman of the year after posting 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 season. He missed the first seven games of the season after suffering a thumb injury in an October practice.

The Odenton, Md., native made himself known for playing above the rim in his lone college season, racking up a handful of highlight-reel dunks.

It wasn’t always perfect for Whitmore, who admitted early in the season that he was struggling to adjust to college basketball and how Villanova wanted to play in particular. Whitmore hit another gear after Villanova star Justin Moore returned from an Achilles injury at the end of January.

In Villanova’s first-round victory over Georgetown in the Big East tournament, hours after being named the league’s top freshman, Whitmore scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting while pulling in 10 rebounds for his lone double-double of the season. That capped a stretch of five straight games where Whitmore scored in double figures.

Whitmore, who won’t turn 19 until July, committed to Villanova while Jay Wright was still the coach. He, along with fellow freshmen Mark Armstrong and Brendan Hausen, stayed with the Wildcats after Kyle Neptune took over.

Mock drafts produced by ESPN, SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Tankathon, NBC Sports, and USA Today have Whitmore being selected in the top 10 of the June draft.

Whitmore being one-and-done is not a surprise. He entered Villanova as one of the most highly touted prospects in program history.

With Whitmore gone, the 2022 recruiting class is now highlighted by Armstrong, who played with Whitmore and won gold on the under-18 national team in the FIBA championships last summer. Armstrong is expected to be the starting point guard on next year’s roster, which still is being sorted out.

Moore will return, and Neptune is working to add more talent via the transfer portal. Hausen, the third member of the 2022 class, is expected to take a step forward in his sophomore season.

While Whitmore is Villanova’s first one-and-done since Thomas, he likely will become the ninth Wildcats player selected in the first round since Thomas in 1997.