After three seasons at Florida State, Xavier Rathan-Mayes transformed his game from being a streaky scorer to an All-ACC point guard.
Now, he intends to take his game to the next level.
Rathan-Mayes, a third-year player who helped FSU reach its first NCAA Tournament in five seasons, announced his intention to leave school and pursue a professional career. He made the announcement from his Twitter account Thursday.
"I feel that now is the time for me to continue setting goals for myself at the next level," Rathan-Mayes wrote. "I'm excited to take this next step to pursue a career in the NBA.
"I will be forever grateful to be a Seminole and I look forward to making you proud in the future."
Rathan-Mayes joins teammate Dwayne Bacon, who declared for the NBA draft on Wednesday, while standout freshman Jonathan Isaac could announce his decision to follow suit on Friday.
Rathan-Mayes entered the NBA draft process after last season without hiring an agent, before ultimately deciding to return to school.
Whether Rathan-Mayes intends to hire an agent for the 2017 NBA draft is not known at this time.
Rathan-Mayes transformed from FSU's primary scoring option as a freshman to being a well-rounded point guard capable to leading FSU's offense while setting the tone with his pressure defense. He earned All-ACC defensive team honors in his final season.
Rathan-Mayes took the college basketball world by storm, scoring a career-high 35 points, including 30 points in the final 4:38 minutes at Miami in a loss as a freshman in 2015. He also scored 35 points at North Carolina that same season.
But as Florida State welcomed Bacon, Malik Beasley and Issac to the team in the last two seasons, he altered his game and became a facilitator for the Seminoles.
Rathan-Mayes, who averaged nearly 15 points as a freshman, finished his career averaging 10.6 points with 4.8 assists per game in his final season.
Rathan-Mayes finished his career with 1,236 points and 127 3-pointers, 25 points and one 3-pointer shy of totals his father, Tharon Mayes, earned as a Seminole.
"When I first arrived at FSU, I set many goals for myself," Rathan-Mayes wrote. "I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps while also creating my own identity.
"Florida State allowed me to do that and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities this amazing university has provided me, both academically and athletically."
