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PROVO — Yoeli Childs' time at BYU has come to an end.
The junior forward announced Wednesday afternoon that he was declaring for the NBA draft and signing with an agent, ending his collegiate career after three seasons.
"The time has come for a new chapter in my life," Childs wrote. "I will be declaring for this year's NBA draft with intent to hire an agent. Thank you for everything, Cougar Nation."
Childs averaged 21.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a junior for the Cougars, who finished 19-13 and tied for second in the West Coast Conference.
He finishes his college career with 1,609 points, 882 rebounds, 184 assists and 142 blocks.
Childs finishes his three-year career with 37 double-doubles, including 17 in 2018-19, which ranks tied for third all-time in BYU history with former triple-double king Kyle Collinsworth.
But numbers only tell part of Childs' story. The former Bingham High star, who led the Miners to the Class 5A state title in 2016, surprised many by signing with BYU.
Childs didn't grow up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But through AAU coach Tim Davis and BYU assistant coach Tim LaComb, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound big man made his way to Provo as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Utah.
"These past three years have been amazing," Childs wrote. "When I think of BYU and what this school, program and people have done for me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
"I'm grateful to the coaching staff for caring about me off the court as much as they did on the court. They believed in me, no matter what. I am especially grateful for Tim LaComb for recruiting me and for the relationship we built on and off the court."
He started 26 of 33 games as a true freshman in 2016-17, averaging 9.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game — and he only got better.
Childs averaged 16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in three seasons, including his near-nightly double-double mark as a junior. He scored 31 points last December against in-state rival Utah, a mark that sits just two points off his career-high while helping the Cougars to back-to-back wins over the Runnin’ Utes — who scarcely recruited Childs, despite growing up in their backyard in South Jordan.
A two-time Deseret News first-team all-state honoree and Class 5A MVP, Childs' development at BYU wasn’t just on the basketball court.
He would eventually join the church at BYU; married his wife Megan, who plays volleyball at Utah Valley; and paired with former standouts Eric Mika and Elijah Bryant, who also left BYU early to pursue professional careers.
While many college athletes around the country feel burdened or obligated by their responsibilities, Childs seemed to genuinely love the college experience. After every press conference, media offering or appearance set up, he would rotate around the room and shake hands with everyone who attended.
He was more than a basketball player, but he was plenty of that, too. Just ask the opponents who found themselves on the wrong side of one of his hammer dunks.
From Mika and Bryant to current teammates TJ Haws, Nick Emery, Gavin Baxter and Luke Worthington, Childs found his role on a team that proved to be the last for coach Dave Rose. The 14-year head coach announced his retirement from BYU on Tuesday, closing a remarkable chapter in Cougar basketball history.
"I'm grateful for my teammates," Childs said. "I've been blessing to play this game of basketball with great players, but better men. They are like brothers to me and we’ll be lifelong friends.
"I'm so grateful for all the BYU fans. The energy you support us with and the love that is felt everywhere I go is special. BYU truly has the greatest fans in the world. I hope you will continue to be a fan and show support for the rest of my basketball career."
Childs declared for the NBA draft a year ago, taking visits to a half-dozen NBA teams and receiving feedback from all of them before ultimately pulling his name from the draft and returning to school for another year.
Now married and with three full seasons of college experience, that won't be the case.
At a time when BYU athletics is searching for a new head basketball coach, the Cougars will also lose two of their top three scorers in Childs and Jahshire Hardnett, who announced shortly after the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas that he will leave BYU as a graduate transfer. Rylan Bergersen will also transfer from BYU.
Haws is the lead returner, averaging 17.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior. The other top returners are Zac Seljaas (7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg), freshman Connor Harding (6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Emery (6.1 ppg).
Of course, the dynamic of the roster could also change, depending on who BYU hires to replace Rose. Candidates for the position include Utah Valley coach Mark Pope, Los Angeles Lakers assistant Mark Madsen and Utah Jazz assistant Alex Jensen.
