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Florida basketball announced the return of 2025-26 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu on Thursday.
A rising senior, Chinyelu went through the NBA draft process while retaining his college eligibility. Draft experts projected him as a second-round pick, around the No. 40 spot. Chinyelu told Andy Katz last week that his decision "depends on where I’m going to be picked in the draft," something he discussed with teams during the interview portion of the combine.
Chinyelu averaged a double-double in 2025-26 with 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He was the first Florida Gator in five decades to average more than 10 rebounds per game. He also set the program single-season record with 19 double-doubles last year.
Florida now returns four starters from the 2025-26 squad. Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Thomas Haugh preceded Chinyelu in announcing their return. Condon, Chinyelu and Haugh were key pieces for the 2024-25 national championship team, too.
The fifth piece of the starting five remains up in the air, with Florida hoping to get another season of eligibility out of Denzel Aberdeen. He only played 41 minutes in the 2022-23 season, and the possibility of the NCAA moving to a five-year participation window could make the decision easy.
Aberdeen played last season with the Kentucky Wildcats but re-entered the transfer portal and found his way back to Florida. He, too, was a member of the national championship team.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball C Rueben Chinyelu returning for 2026-27 season
Continue reading...
A rising senior, Chinyelu went through the NBA draft process while retaining his college eligibility. Draft experts projected him as a second-round pick, around the No. 40 spot. Chinyelu told Andy Katz last week that his decision "depends on where I’m going to be picked in the draft," something he discussed with teams during the interview portion of the combine.
Chinyelu averaged a double-double in 2025-26 with 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He was the first Florida Gator in five decades to average more than 10 rebounds per game. He also set the program single-season record with 19 double-doubles last year.
Florida now returns four starters from the 2025-26 squad. Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Thomas Haugh preceded Chinyelu in announcing their return. Condon, Chinyelu and Haugh were key pieces for the 2024-25 national championship team, too.
The fifth piece of the starting five remains up in the air, with Florida hoping to get another season of eligibility out of Denzel Aberdeen. He only played 41 minutes in the 2022-23 season, and the possibility of the NCAA moving to a five-year participation window could make the decision easy.
Aberdeen played last season with the Kentucky Wildcats but re-entered the transfer portal and found his way back to Florida. He, too, was a member of the national championship team.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball C Rueben Chinyelu returning for 2026-27 season
Continue reading...
