Florida center Rueben Chinyelu is officially on the national radar. The junior big man has been named to the Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year watch list, a nod to the kind of dominant season he’s putting together in Gainesville - and a testament to just how much of a force he’s become in the paint.
At 6-foot-10 and 265 pounds, Chinyelu has been an anchor for the No. 19 Gators all season long.
He’s averaging a career-high 11 rebounds per game, including 6.9 on the defensive end - a number that ranks fifth nationally and leads the always-physical Southeastern Conference. That’s elite company, and it’s no fluke.
Game after game, Chinyelu is swallowing up second-chance opportunities and turning defensive stops into transition chances for Florida.
His impact goes beyond just rebounding, though. Chinyelu’s also chipping in 12 points per game on an efficient 64.1% shooting from the field, showing improved touch around the rim and a growing confidence in his offensive role.
He’s even knocking down his free throws at a 66.7% clip - a noticeable jump from his earlier college days. Add in a block per game and nearly a steal, and you’ve got a well-rounded contributor who’s making his presence felt on both ends of the floor.
And then there are the eye-popping games that demand attention. Chinyelu has twice hauled in 21 rebounds in a single game this season - the most by a Florida player in the shot clock era.
He’s registered 12 double-doubles so far, including a four-game streak that hadn’t been matched by a Gator since 2005. That kind of consistency on the glass, combined with his scoring, has him tied for seventh-most double-doubles in a season in program history.
Chinyelu’s journey to this point is just as impressive. Originally from Enugwu-Agidi, Nigeria, he transferred to Florida ahead of the 2024-25 season after spending his freshman year at Washington State.
Since arriving in Gainesville, he’s started every game - 61 and counting - and helped guide the Gators to a 51-10 record in those starts. That’s not just availability; that’s reliability at the highest level.
Head coach Todd Golden has seen the transformation firsthand. “When Rueben got here, he obviously had a lot of tools,” Golden said earlier this month.
“But what stood out was his mentality - the willingness to work, to improve, to focus on the fundamentals. He didn’t get caught up in trying to shoot threes or do too much.
He just got better - with his touch, his balance, his free-throw stroke. It’s all come from being coachable and putting in the time.”
That work ethic has paid off in a big way. Chinyelu’s development is a credit to Florida’s player development program, but more than that, it’s a reflection of a player who bought in and committed to the grind. He’s not just a defensive presence anymore - he’s the heart of a Gators team that’s making serious noise on the national stage.
Chinyelu joins a stacked Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watch list that includes standout names like Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), and Kylan Boswell (Illinois), among others. It’s a who’s who of college basketball’s most disruptive defenders - and Chinyelu absolutely belongs in that group.
Next up for Florida? A marquee SEC showdown as the Gators host No.
23 Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a sold-out Exactech Arena. With Chinyelu patrolling the paint, Florida will look to keep rolling - and he’ll have another chance to show why his name is being mentioned among the nation’s best defenders.