UCLA freshman Kevin Love to turn pro

Los Angeles -- UCLA freshman forward Kevin Love Thursday announced that he will enter this year's NBA draft in June.

The declaration has been rumored for a number of weeks.

The 6-foot-10 inch native of Lake Oswego, Ore., led the Bruins with per game averages of 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds.

He earned First Team all-America honors and was the Pac-10's co-Player of the Year along with fellow freshman O.J. Mayo, the Southern California guard, who already announced his intentions to go pro.

Love was the first Bruin freshman to earn first-team All-America honors and was the third UCLA player in four years to be named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

Thursday, he was joined in his decision by teammate Russell Westbrook, a 6-foot-3 inch sophomore guard from Hawthorne, Calif.

Westbrook, a Third Team all-Pac-10 choice, averaged 12.7 points and 4.3 assists per game and his 1,318 minutes played this season are the most by a Bruin since 1979.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.