Florida basketball: Center Rueben Chinyelu pulls name from NBA Draft, returning for junior year

• Florida sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu withdrew from the NBA Draft and will return to the Gators for his junior season.
• Chinyelu started all 40 games for the national champion Gators, averaging 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds.
• Florida’s frontcourt will be deep and experienced with the return of Chinyelu, Haugh, and Handlogten, and possibly Condon.
• Condon has until May 28 to decide whether to stay in the NBA Draft or return to Florida for his junior season.

Florida basketball sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu has pulled his name out of the NBA Draft and will return for his junior season, a source confirmed to The Sun.

The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Chinyelu started all 40 games for the national champion Florida Gators, averaging 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds with 34 blocked shots. He shot 59.9% from the floor and 58.2% from the foul line in 2024-25 and posted four double doubles.

Chinyelu’s return adds another significant, experienced frontcourt piece to UF’s rotation in 2025-26. Florida also is bringing back 6-foot-9 junior forward Thomas Haugh and 7-foot-1 senior center Micah Handlogten. The Gators also are awaiting word on whether 6-foot-11 forward Alex Condon will return for his junior season or keep his name in the NBA Draft.

Condon has until May 28 to decide whether to return to Florida or keep his name in the draft. A second-team All-SEC forward who averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds with a team-high 49 blocked shots, Condon said he is looking for a first-round guarantee to stay in the draft.

If Condon returns, Florida will boast one of the deepest and most experienced frontlines in college basketball in 2025-26 with Condon, Chinyelu, Haugh and Handlogten. Florida could also experiment playing Haugh at the wing position in some situations.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

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