St. John's is losing it's best player.

Junior guard Shamorie Ponds announced on his Instagram account Thursday night that he will enter the 2019 NBA Draft and hire an agent. Ponds, who played for Thomas Jefferson HS in Brooklyn, will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility after the Red Storm reached the NCAA Tournament this season, getting knocked out in the First Four play-in game by Arizona State.

"Playing for St. John's has been nothing less than amazing for me. To RedStorm Nation, I thank y'all each & every night for giving me the confidence to be myself and accept me for who I am thru my highs & lows," Ponds wrote in his Instagram post.

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Playing for St. John's has been nothing less than amazing for me. To RedStorm Nation, I thank y'all each & every night for giving me the confidence to be myself and accept me for who I am thru my highs & lows❤. To my brothers, we been thru hell & back but this season was a success even though we ain't get the outcome we wanted. I appreciate my dawgs for picking me up when I was down, and challenging me each and every night to be the best me. GANG 4Eva🤞🖤. To the coaching staff, all 3 years y'all brung out something new in me, I've mature over the years, y'all helped me become a better person on and off the court. I thank y'all for that🙏. With that being said, coming to St John's was one of the best decisions of my life. After speaking it over with my loved ones, I want to announce that I WILL BE ENTERING THE 2019 NBA DRAFT & hiring an agent. #NWNBForever✍ & the Journey continues . . . #2out ✌ 💔

A post shared by Shamorie Ponds (@_slicck_) on Mar 28, 2019 at 7:24pm PDT

Ponds led St. John's this season with 19.7 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. His scoring was down from last season, when he averaged 21.6 points per game. He was a three-year starter for the Red Storm, starting all 96 games in which he appeared.

The guard finishes his collegiate career fifth on St. John's all-time scoring list with 1,870 points. He was named to the All-Big East First Team each of the last two seasons.

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