Florida center Rueben Chinyelu is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft and returning to the Gators for his junior season, according to Jon Rothstein. Chinyelu’s decision marks another significant offseason win for the reigning national champions, though he’s presently the only starter on his way back to the program for the team’s title defense.
A former four-star product of the NBA Academy Africa, Chinyelu spent his freshman season at Washington State before transferring to Florida in April 2024. He immediately stepped into the starting center role in lieu of an injured Micah Handlogten holding that role in all 41 of Florida’s games last season.
Chinyelu averaed 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while hitting 60% of his shots from the field. He reached double-digit scoring in 10 games, including a 10-point, 8-rebound performance in Florida’s Sweet 16 win against Maryland.
While Chinyelu is still developing his offensive game, he proved to be one of the SEC’s top interior defenders in his first year with the Gators. He used all of his 6-foot-10, 260-pound frame to block 34 shots, which ranked second among Florida defenders, and secure 169 defensive rebounds.
Chinyelu has two seasons of eligibility remaining after participating in 76 games with Washington State and Florida. He is the second important component of the Gators frontcourt to return after rising junior Thomas Haugh, the team’s first big man off the bench and a spot starter last season, also decided to come back for another year in Gainesville, Florida.
The Gators are still waiting to see whether starting sophomore forward Alex Condon will remain in the NBA Draft process or return to school alongside Chinyelu.
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