Rueben Chinyelu national defensive player of the year; will he be back for one more season?

Will Rueben Chinyelu return to Florida or bolt for the NBA (Photo by Chris Spears)

When Rueben Chinyelu was announced as the National Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), it confirmed what Todd Golden has been saying for months. With the 2026 award in hand, is it possible that Chinyelu will be back in his Florida uniform with a chance to not only win the defensive player of the year award a second time, but get the Gators back in the Final Four?

Golden along with the entire Gator Nation is waiting decisions from Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten. Will Chinyelu and Condon declare for the NBA Draft and will Handlogten get the NCAA waiver that will allow him another year of eligibility?

Condon is projected a second rounder in nearly every mock NBA draft, but he’s close enough to late first round that the NBA Combine and individual workouts could slide him in among the top 30 selections. In Florida’s last 15 games, Condon averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. He finished second on the team with 3.6 assists per game and averaged 1.4 blocked shots. He’s not a 3-point shooter but his development of a deadly floater from 10 feet on in is a real plus.

Chinyelu is projected middle of the second round at the earliest. He finished fourth in the country in rebounding (11.2) while scoring 10.9 points per game. He’s an exceptional defender who is mobile enough to take on guards on the perimeter while being an imposing presence in the paint. His offensive game is raw, confined to baby hooks inside five feet and dunks. His lack of a jump shot even out to 10-12 feet hurts his draft stock since the NBA has so many bigs who can shoot from the foul line on out to three.

All first rounders get multi-year, guaranteed money contracts. It’s rare that a second rounder gets multiple years and guaranteed money although it has been done. Chandler Parsons got a four-year guaranteed deal worth $3.7 million with the Houston Rockets back in 2011, but that’s a rarity. Kennedy Chandler in 2022 got a 4-year deal worth $7.1 million as a second rounder, all the money guaranteed, but he was waived in 2023. Since the money was guaranteed he was paid through last season.

Second round picks get contracts that are guaranteed, partially-guaranteed and 2-way deals. Most second rounders get the NBA minimum (somewhere around $1.2 million) if they stick with the team. Many second rounders are signed to 2-way deals which means 50 percent of the NBA minimum plus NBA per game for every game they play when called up to the big club.

Thanks to NIL money, both Condon and Chinyelu could make more money coming back to Florida if their agents aren’t assured of a multi-year contract for the second round.

Handlogten’s fate is in the hands of the NCAA but considering many of the recent rulings and court cases, there is a good chance he returns.

Here is the Florida roster breakdown:

GONERS

Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR): Does he go with the G-League or leave for Europe? His game translates nicely to the Euro style.

Olivier Rioux (7-9, 305, RFR): He’s in the portal, hoping to land somewhere that he can play.

AWAITING DECISIONS

Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR): He’s moved up in many mock drafts to lottery level. Figure he will go somewhere between 12 and 16, which means four years and somewhere in the $20-27-million range. Could he come back? Anything is possible. Will he come back? Don’t bet even $1 dollar on it.

Alex Condon dunks on Kentucky (Photo by Chris Spears)

Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR:): ESPN’s latest two-round mock draft has Condon going No. 33 to Memphis. NBAdraft.net has him slipping into the first round at No. 29 to San Antonio. Nail biter of a decision to be made here.

Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR): Nearly every mock draft has Chinyelu somewhere in the 40s of the second round. ESPN’s mock has him No. 47 to the Magic. Seems wise for him to return. He will definitely make more money at UF.

Micah Handlogten (7-1, 260, SR): He has appealed to the NCAA for an extra season. There is no telling what the NCAA will rule, but considering some of the decisions that have been made, plus the chance that Micah can take his appeal to the courts, there is a very good chance he will get the waiver to return.

Viktor Mikic (6-11, 260, SO): He’s only been seen in mop up minutes in real games, but he practices hard and has a strong work ethic. He can shoot the ball from the 3-point line with a very nice stroke. Played last summer for Serbia’s 19-and-under team at the FIBA Euros.

Alex Kovatchev (6-5, 195, RSO): Australian who played sparingly after transferring in from Sacramento State. Very good practice player and good defensively.

CJ Ingram (6-7, 210, FR): He knows he will have first shot at Tommy Haugh’s job, so why would he leave? He has all the athletic ability in the world, he’s developed a very nice 3-point shot and he’s a legacy of one of the more popular Gators of all time (Cornelius Ingram). He has grown since the start of the 2025-26 season and it wouldn’t be surprising if he tops out somewhere between 6-8 and 6-9.

COMMITTED TO RETURN

Boogie Fland is set to return for another season (Photo by Chris Spears)

Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO): He can handle the ball, play great defense and get the ball up the court in a hurry. Has to become a consistent 3-point shooter and eliminate turnovers.

Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, JR): SEC Sixth Man of the Year. Should thrive in a starting role. True 3-point bomber who hit 40.6 percent of his threes. Could he be on the Slovenia roster for the FIBA Euro World Cup tournament this summer?

AJ Brown (6-5, 210, RJR): Excellent 3-point shooter who, after transferring from Ohio U, took a redshirt to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder. Very physical defender.

Isaiah Brown (6-5, 210, JR): Played himself into the rotation with his defense and energy. His 3-point shooting was a plus. He has star quality.

Alex Lloyd (6-3, 180, FR): Seems more of a combo guard than a pure point. Excellent shooter from deep. Needs to add 10-20 pounds of muscle to handle the rigors of the SEC.  

INTERESTING NAMES IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL

Paulius Mauraskas (6-8, 235, JR, Saint Mary’s): Yes, he’s a one-and-done but if he’s interested in UF then take him. He’s powerful, can handle the ball and he can shoot. The thought is he will follow Randy Bennett to Arizona State but if he’s available, take him. Lithuanian from the Zalgris organization.

Andrew McKeever (7-3, 285, SO, Saint Mary’s): You can’t teach tall (7-3) and he’s got aircraft carrier size. At Saint Mary’s he did what he was asked to do, stick back misses in the paint, rebound and scare people from venturing into the paint. Averaged 8.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. Will he follow Randy Bennett to Arizona State?

Christian Hammond (6-4, 195, SO, Santa Clara): There is a lot of talk that Florida is already in the mix. As a sophomore he averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for an NCAA team. Outstanding defender who shot 39.3 percent from the 3-point line.

Joel Foxwell (6-1, 180, FR, Portland): Australian transplant who is exceptional in the open court. Great ball handler and passer who averaged 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, which ranked 13^thnationally. Needs work on his shot, but is an outstanding distributor. Averaged 1.5 steals per game and 80.7 percent from the foul line.

Ben Defty (7-0, 255, SO, Boston University): German native who played high school basketball at a New England prep school. Defty was one of the most improved players in the country as a sophomore. Legitimate size, serious rim protector. Averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots per game.

Adam Olsen (6-8, 225, JR, South Alabama): Serious shooter who hit 39.1 percent from three. Spent two years playing in Canada before arriving in the US at South Alabama. Would the NCAA give him one or two years eligibility? Averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. Does he rebound well enough?

Sam Orme (6-9, 220, SO, Belmont): First and foremost, Florida’s last transfer from Belmont (Will Richard) turned out pretty well, didn’t he? Averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 39.7 percent on 3-pointers as a sophomore. Career average 11.2 points and 38.7 percent on threes.

Neoklis Avdalas (6-9, 215, FR, Virginia Tech): He can play all three wing positions quite well, but is most comfortable at the point. As a freshman, he averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He’s 20 years old and from Greece.

Sananda Fru (6-11, 245, JR, Louisville): If circumstances require a one-and-done big, then this might be a good choice for the Gators. Played two years in the Euro leagues then spent last year at Louisville where he averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Very physical.

Brandon Benjamin (6-8, 240, FR, Fairfield): Rebounding machine who averaged 14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as the only big on a vertically challenged team. Three years eligibility.

Baye Ndongo (6-9, 250, JR, Georgia Tech): Native of Senegal who has scored 1,133 points (12.6 per game) and grabbed 762 rebounds (8.5 per game) as a 3-year starter for a bad team. A possibility if the Gators are looking for a one-and-done type who allows young players to develop.

Brant Byers (6-8, 200, SO, Miami OH): He will be one of the most sought after players in the portal. He’s a 6-8 wing guard who can shoot (39.1 percent from three), rebound and handle the ball. Averaged 14.2 points and 4.1 rebounds for Miami. Was one of the best late game clutch shooters in the country.

SEC TRANSFERS

Florida

Olivier Rioux (7-9, 305, RFR): He’s still got a long way to go and he’s nowhere near ready for play in the Southeastern Conference. He needs to go somewhere that he’ll have a chance to earn meaningful minutes so he can develop.

Georgia

Jeremiah Wilkinson (6-1, 185, SO): Huge loss for Mike White. Big time scorer (17.4 last season) who averaged 15.1 as a freshman at California. Atlanta native. Will be a priority recruit for Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn.

Dylan James (6-9, 235, JR): Big and strong but an average rebounder and not much on the offensive end. Winter Haven native who could wind up at South Florida or UCF.

Somto Cyril (6-11, 260, SO): Huge loss for Georgia. One of the nation’s top rim protectors who averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Nigerian who played high school basketball at Hamilton Heights in Chattanooga, same school that several Gators including Mikic have come from. Expect Florida to be involved.

Kentucky

Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, JR): Transferred to UK from Pitt but played in only eight games due to injury. Probably will get another year because of the injury. In the eight games he played averaged 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Not a very good shooter,

LSU

Dedan Thomas Jr. (6-1, 178, JR): Instant offense. He can score and he was leading the SEC in assists before he got hurt. Averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 assists. Spent his first two seasons at UNLV and was once a high priority Florida recruit. Played in 16 games this past season and will likely appeal for another year.

Jalen Reed (6-10, 230, SR): He’s only played in 14 games the last two years because of injuries, so he’s almost guaranteed to get at least one year more of eligibility. Was a priority recruit for UF in the Mike White days.  

Mazi Mosley (6-5, 169, FR): He was a 4-star recruit out of high school but averaged only 6.3 minutes in 19 games as a freshman.

Mississippi State

Jamarion Davis-Fleming (6-10, 240, FR): He’s got size and potential. Shouldn’t last long on the portal with three years eligibility remaining. Averaged 3.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

Missouri

Anthony Robinson II (6-2, 175, JR): He’s a Tallahassee native who probably winds up playing his last year at FSU. Averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists at Mizzou last season.

Ole Miss

Eduardo Klafke (6-5, 190, SO): Brazilian with shooting skills but not much in the way of defense. Averaged 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game off the bench.

Ilias Kamardine (6-5, 185, FR): This is a big loss for the Rebels. A former pro in France, Kamardine averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a freshman. Have to figure he’s one-and-done wherever he goes since he’s already 22 years old.

South Carolina

Eli Ellis (6-6, 192, FR): Averaged 8.9 points. Arrived at SC with a reputation as a shooter but hit only 28 percent of his threes.

Elijah Strong (6-8, 225, JR): Third year guy who spent his first two seasons at Boston College. Averaged 10 points and 2.3 rebounds.

EJ Walker (6-7, 253, FR): Physically very strong but lacks height to play inside in the SEC. Averaged 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.