Brook and Robin Lopez, the Cardinals’ 7-foot sophomore twins, decided to take a chance on the NBA draft, leaving Stanford two years ahead of schedule.

Brook Lopez, a third-team All-American and a first-team Pac-10 selection, averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds to go with 56 blocks this season and is expected to be among the top five NBA draft picks. Robin averaged 10.2 points and 5.2 boards and blocked 83 shots for the Cardinals, showing significant improvements in the last 6 games up to the loss against Texas in the NCAA tournament.

The announcement was made Monday, just 3 days after their final game through their mother, Deborah Ledford and the decision seems to be made after careful consideration of the whole scenario.

"This has been a very difficult decision for me because I really enjoyed my two years at Stanford," Robin Lopez said in a statement for the Associated Press. "I have always hoped I would have an opportunity to play in the NBA and I feel now is the right time to make that dream a reality."

The surprise about Robin was mostly related to the fact that one more year in the NCAA tournament might have helped him improve his game even more, but since deciding to take the step together, it would have meant to hold Brook back for one year.

The temptation of a career in the NBA is very alluring, especially now with so many rookies and sophomores stepping up and taking control of the starting five for their teams and embracing great successes on the court and also financial at very young ages.