Chinyelu Declaring for NBA Draft, Maintaining Eligibility
Monday, April 20, 2026 | Men's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — National defensive player of the year Rueben Chinyelu will declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility, he announced on Monday.
Chinyelu averaged a double-double in 2025-26 with 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, becoming the first Gator in 50 years to average double-figure rebounding. Chinyelu has started every game since arriving in Gainesville over the past two seasons, helping lead UF to the 2025 NCAA and SEC Tournament championships, the 2026 SEC regular-season championship, and a 63-12 record over his 75 games.
From Enugwu-Agidi, Nigeria, Chinyelu set Florida single-season records last season with 19 double-doubles and 137 offensive rebounds, and his 393 total rebounds were the third-highest total in program history behind two Neal Walk seasons.
Chinyelu cleaned up in postseason honors, most notably becoming the first Gator to earn Naismith and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year honors. He earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition along with All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team accolades.
In his two seasons at UF, Chinyelu has totaled 620 points and 655 rebounds, which rank ninth and second respectively all-time among Florida transfers.
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JOSHUA 1:9 🤲🏾🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/FrIlcDhdyc
— RUEBEN CHINYELU™️ (@am_rueben) April 20, 2026
