Reigning National Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to the Florida Gators for his senior season, the school confirmed on Thursday.
the wait is over 🗣️🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ooRLlaCU3T
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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) May 21, 2026
Chinyelu is coming off a spectacular season in which he became the first Florida player in 50 years to average a double-double. He finished the season averaging 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and one block per game.
He performed well in the recent draft combine and was projected to be a second-rounder, but will ultimately return to a stacked Gators frontcourt.
He’ll now be returning alongside Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon, who each averaged 15 points or more, to be the interior anchors.
Thursday’s news likely cements the Gators as the nation’s No. 1 team heading into the preseason. With a huge portion of the roster returning combined with impressive new roster additions, Chinyelu’s return further strengthens an already elite Gators squad.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
