Sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu of the Florida Gators announced Thursday his decision to enter the 2025 NBA draft while keeping his collegiate eligibility, joining forward/center Alex Condon.
Chinyelu posted this statement to X:
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I’m incredibly grateful for the University of Florida, the amazing Gators fans and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. To Coach Golden, the entire coaching staff, our managers and my teammates, thank you for believing in me, pushing me and helping me grow both as a player and a person. Your support means everything to me.
🧡💙🐊 pic.twitter.com/1g2AuKyglb
— RUEBEN ABUCHI CHINYELU (@am_rueben) April 17, 2025
“One of the greatest moments of my life has been winning a championship with my brothers. That’s a memory I’ll cherish forever and an experience I’ll always hold close to my heart. After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I am excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility to return to the University of Florida. This is a step forward in chasing my dream of playing at the highest level. Thank you all for the continued love and support, go Gators!”
Rueben Chinyelu Finished Second In Rebounds For Florida
The 6-foot-11 Chinyelu, a transfer from Washington State, started in all 40 of the Gators’ games in the program’s run to a national championship, averaging career highs of 6.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 19 minutes per game.
His 262 total rebounds and 93 offensive rebounds were tied for the second most on the team behind Condon. He also finished 10th in the SEC in defensive boards (169) and led the conference with 113 personal fouls.
In 75 games (52 starts) with Washington State and Florida across two NCAA seasons, Chinyelu averaged 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 16.6 minutes per contest while shooting 60.6% from the field and 53.9% at the free throw line.
Of course, in Florida’s 79-65 win over Louisiana State on Feb. 22, he recorded a career-high 19 points on 8-of-14 (57.1%) shooting from the floor to go with three made free throws and 13 rebounds.
The deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft is June 15. The 2025 NBA draft will be held on June 25-26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
