Blake Griffin's coach called it a no-brainer for the Oklahoma forward to leave for the NBA.

Griffin will give up his final two seasons of eligibility after the sophomore was honored by The Associated Press and several other groups as college basketball's player of the year.

"It wasn't a decision to really debate because it's the right one, and it's the best thing for Blake," Sooners coach Jeff Capel said yesterday, sitting alongside Griffin at a campus news conference.

Arizona junior forward Chase Budinger is also headed to the NBA. Two star SEC junior guards — Kentucky's Jodie Meeks and South Carolina's Devan Downey — have declared for the draft without hiring an agent, leaving the option of returning to school.

Griffin led the nation with 30 double-doubles and 14.4 rebounds per game while averaging a Big 12-best 22.7 points. In the NCAA tournament, he was even better — averaging 28.5 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Sooners to the regional finals, where they lost to eventual national champion North Carolina.

"It's tough to walk away from something like this but at the same time, it's a big opportunity and I felt like I was ready for it this year," Griffin said.

"This has been a dream for me. It has been a dream for a lot of guys. I was really comfortable with the decision this time around."