Hours after UCLA landed a guard through its international recruiting efforts, the Bruins lost a fourth starter from last season’s team that advanced to the Sweet 16.

Freshman Amari Bailey announced Thursday via social media that he will forgo his remaining three years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.

“I would like to thank my mother for putting her dreams on the back burner to help me achieve mine,” Bailey wrote in an Instagram post that also thanked his support system in his native Chicago and his appreciation for the time nearby Sierra Canyon High School prior to arriving in Westwood.

“Since I was 3 years old, basketball has been my first and only love. I have decided to bet on myself and turn my dreams into reality and enter the 2023 NBA Draft.”

Bailey joins Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Jaylen Clark in doing so, while fifth-year senior David Singleton also will not be back after exhausting his eligibility. Clark, who suffered an Achilles injury in the final game of the regular season, may still return after hiring an NCAA-certified agent and leaving the option open.

Bailey will stay in the draft, however. His mother, Johanna Leia, told ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony that “he is not testing the waters.”

After a slow start through the early part of the season, thanks in part to a foot injury that sidelined him for a month, Bailey hit his stride in March. Without Clark, the 6-foot-5 All-Pac-12 freshman team selection stepped up his play on the defensive end while also boosting his scoring by averaging 17.3 points over the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments.

He shot 56.1% over the final six games.

Going back to Bailey’s arrival, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin openly suggested he would likely be a one-and-done player in college.

“Amari improved immensely this season as a basketball player,” Cronin said in a statement. “He learned how to use his skill and elite athleticism in an efficient manner. By the end of our season, Amari was playing as well as any guard in the country. His shot selection and shooting percentages show his knowledge of the game and his winning mentality. One area in which Amari most improved was becoming an elite defensive player. His on-the-ball pressure became a huge weapon for our team. Amari loved being a UCLA Bruin. He told me often how playing at UCLA was a dream for him. Now, we’ll get to support him in his next step as a professional.”

Earlier in the day, the Bruins secured a commitment from 6-foot-6 French guard Ilane Fibleuil for the 2023 class, joining combo guard Sebastian Mack as backcourt options. Over the weekend, they also added former Utah guard Lazar Stefanovic through the transfer portal.

Currently on the roster, UCLA also has Italian wing Abramo Canka, who played sparingly in the nonconference portion of the schedule while making sporadic appearances the rest of the season.

Now, the Bruins are just awaiting a decision from Pac-12 freshman of the year Adem Bona, who injured his left shoulder in the Pac-12 tournament and missed the championship game, along with two of the three games in the NCAA tournament.