When Canadian basketball phenom Jamal Murray made his decision to attend the University of Kentucky on Wednesday night, he made it with his long-term future in mind.

One night after he announced his college decision live on TSN, Murray kept a close eye on the NBA Draft, where six recently departed Kentucky Wildcats were drafted.

Amongst those Kentucky players was Karl-Anthony Towns, a 7'0 centre who was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Trey Lyles, the third Wildcat selected after Willie Cauley-Stein, became the latest player to join a growing group of Canadians in the NBA.

Murray has an opportunity to join that group in the near future, possibly as soon as next year. When it came down to choosing his college program, Murray made his final decision between Oregon and Kentucky. The opportunity to reach the NBA - amongst other influences including proximity to hometown of Kitchener, Ontario – was enough to sway him to Kentucky.

"Oregon has a great coach, [Dana Altman] knows what he's doing - great coaching style, great team," Murray explained to TSN.ca. "But in the end, with Kentucky, coach (John) Calipari has a history of getting players to the next level, quick. 

"We just have to focus on one year of hard work and dedication."

The 18-year-old joins a program which posted an undefeated regular season record last year and reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Following the mass exodus of seven stars off the 2014-15 team, Murray will likely be allotted the opportunity to start as freshman, though he claims that didn't impact his decision.

"It wasn't (the chance to start day 1)," said Murray. "It was just the opportunity to play with great guards; we have a good team. We have all the roles that we need to fill. I just thought the team would be good for a run at the championship."

The 18-year-old was initially set to be a part of the 2016 recruiting class, but after standout performances at the BioSteel All-Canadian Game and the Nike Hoops Summit south of the border, Murray decided he was ready for the next level.

"I've played against the best players in the States and been MVP and then the best players in Canada and been MVP," said Murray. "It's great to play with great players and see where you match up against them."

Murray, a 6'5 guard, scored 30 points at the American Hoops Summit as the World Team defeated Team USA. Three days later, he scored a game-high 29 points in Toronto. As Murray points out, he was named an MVP at both events.

The rising star took a path less travelled for Canadian prospects, electing to play his high school basketball in his home country - at the Athlete Institute Orangeville Prep program. He calls his time at the institute a key part of helping him reach the next level.

"It was important because I needed to get my academics up, upgrade classes, take classes I needed for eligibility and that helped a lot," Murray said. "With preparation for college, the things we do in practice to our everyday lifestyle, everything helps."

As for joining the growing ranks of high-profile Canadian basketball stars, Murray says the players all have the same goal and are just looking for the right path to achieve it.

"We're all trying to get to the same place," Murray said, "and we're just doing it in different ways. I stayed in Canada doing it. (Andrew) Wiggins had to go to the States.  Other than that, we're just trying to get to the same spot and pursue our dreams."

Murray took another step toward his dream with his college commitment.