RC

Rueben Chinyelu

C|#9

Florida

Junior · 6' 10" · 265 lbs

27 games played

Rueben Chinyelu is a junior center who has been a key part of Florida's rotation, averaging 11.5 points in 27 games. He dominates the glass with 11.7 rebounds per game. He does his damage in the paint, not from the perimeter. He has started all 27 games for a Florida squad ranked 7th in the NET.

Rueben Chinyelu took a winding path to Gainesville. The 6-11 center from Nigeria trained at the NBA Academy Africa before landing on Todd Golden's radar during his first recruiting cycle at Florida. Chinyelu's final five schools were Florida, Tennessee, Washington State, Rutgers, and Santa Clara, and he ultimately chose Washington State. As a freshman in 2023-24, he averaged 4.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 13.9 minutes per game for a Cougars team that earned a seven-seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Drake in the first round. When Chinyelu entered the transfer portal, Florida pounced on its second chance at the Nigerian big man. He started all 40 games on the Gators' 2025 national championship team, averaging 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds with a .599 field goal percentage and 34 blocked shots. Chinyelu initially entered the 2025 NBA Draft before withdrawing and returning to Florida for another season.