Colorado freshman Cody Williams declares for 2024 NBA Draft

It was not unexpected news, but it is now official. Cody Williams' career at Colorado is now over. The freshman announced the long-anticipated news that he will be wrapping up his time as a college player after one season with the Buffs in favor of entering his name into the 2024 NBA Draft.

Williams, who joined CU as one of the top recruits in program history, had plenty of ups and downs throughout his freshman season in Boulder. Injuries and sometimes inconsistency kept Williams from reaching his full potential under Tad Boyle, but he still contributed with 11.9 points and 3.0 rebounds through 24 games at CU.

"I would like to thank Buff Nation, coaching staff, trainers, my teammates, and teacher for all you have done," Williams wrote in a statement posted to social media announcing the news Monday afternoon. "... These are incredibly exciting times, and I am looking forward to this next chapter of my life and what God has in store for me."

The 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward earned plenty of attention as a high school prospect at Perry High in Gilbert, Arizona earning him offers from across the country. He opted to join the Buffs where he teamed up with players such as KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva to help CU set a new program record with 26 victories.

Williams capped his career at Colorado with a 12-point showing in the NCAA Tournament loss to Marquette. In all, Williams scored in double figures in 14 games over the course of his freshman season highlighted by 23 points against Oregon in January.

Williams had once been considered the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall in the upcoming NBA draft, and he currently sits at No. 10 in Kyrsten Peek's latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports.

"Williams started to play much better during the postseason after fully recovering from a facial fracture," Peek wrote in her latest projection.

Williams' older brother, Jalen, was selected 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft and is now in his second season with the franchise after earning all-rookie honors last year.