Rueben Chinyelu declares for NBA Draft, but there’s a catch

Florida basketball is watching its roster reshape after the early March Madness exit. Alex Condon opted to return for his senior year in Gainesville. Fellow star Rueben Chinyelu pulled the opposite Monday by declaring for the NBA Draft.

But there’s a catch involving Chinyelu. ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello helped reveal the twist involving the center.

“Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, the National Defensive Player of the Year, will test the NBA draft process while maintaining his eligibility to return to Florida if he withdraws, he announced,” Borzello shared on the social media website X, formerly Twitter. “Follows Alex Condon’s announcement last week that he’s going back to the Gators.”

Chinyelu will gather feedback from NBA teams during this process while also performing various workouts. But he has the power to pivot back over to Florida if he doesn’t hear strong feedback from league personnel.

The 6-foot-10 Nigerian talent emerged as a double-double threat for head coach Todd Golden. Chinyelu delivered 10.9 points per game with 11.2 rebounds. He even produced nine straight games of surpassing the double-digit scoring mark.

NBA franchises will fawn over Chinyelu’s rebounding. He pulled down 20 rebounds or more three times this season and delivered 19 double-doubles for the Gators.

He brings a national championship ring in tow too, starring for Golden’s first title winning team of 2025. This Florida team exited out of the second round against Iowa, however. Chinyelu struggled that game too, scoring zero points in 19 minutes on the floor.

Still, teams seeking frontcourt help and an aggressive rebounder will look closely at the Florida big man.

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