Andrew Nembhard to transfer out of Florida after withdrawing from 2020 NBA Draft

Basketball

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Image Credit: GatorsMBK / Twitter

Point guard Andrew Nembhard has seemingly been looking for a way to leave the Florida Gators since he joined the program two years ago, and now he has the opportunity. After entering his name into the NBA Draft for the second time in as many offseasons, Nembhard has again changed his mind about turning pro but will transfer out of Florida and pursue his college career elsewhere.

Nembhard, who would have been entering his junior season with the Gators next season, will have two years of eligibility remaining but must sit out a year in residence per NCAA rules unless he receives a waiver exemption. He entered the NCAA transfer portal on Monday, according to 247Sports.

“Given the disruption and uncertainty surrounding this year’s NBA Draft process and the NBA season, I felt it would be in my best interest to return to college,” Nembhard wrote in part of a long Twitter message. “… I am also currently considering opportunities to transfer to another university for the upcoming academic year. Although my time in Gainesville has come to an end, I appreciate everything that I have achieved as a Gator and I am grateful for all our team accomplishments. Florida is a quality basketball program and having a winning record in each of my two seasons there was a great learning experience for me.”

Nembhard did have his moments for Florida last season with some highlight plays and dominant performances; unfortunately, he was not overly consistent game to game and his statistical production basically mirrored his freshman season. Through his career, he averaged 9.5 points and posted a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (point guards aim for 3.0 or better), starting all 67 games in which he played for the Gators.

With the NBA Draft in flux due to the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on the 2019-20 NBA season, it was not the best time for a borderline-draftable player to test the system and hope for an invitation to the combine.

Nembhard’s decision to pull his name from the draft was to be expected, but choosing not to continue his career at Florida is certainly a bit of a surprise despite the fact that his slower, play-developing on-court tempo frequently clashed with head coach Mike White’s desired style of offense, which he prefers to run at a faster pace.

Rising sophomore PG Tre Mann also declared for the draft last month, a strange call considering he averaged 5.3 points in 17.8 minutes per game during his lone season. Though he was a five-star prospect and the No. 21 overall recruit coming out of high school, Mann did not necessarily do enough to warrant draft consideration.

It is unknown at this time whether he will withdraw, from the draft but some believe he would not return to the Gators no matter his decision. That certainly remains to be seen.

Suddenly, Florida’s point guard situation for 2020-21 is up in the air. If Mann returns, he would certainly be the front-runner to be the starting floor general. Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appleby — a dynamic player who will become eligible this season — and rising sophomore Ques Glover are the other point guards on the team. UF did not sign a point guard in the Class of 2020.

The decisions by Nembhard and Mann came on the heels of forward Keyontae Johnson and guard Scottie Lewis deciding to return for the 2020-21 season. Johnson was Florida’s best and most consistent player last season, while Lewis likely has the highest NBA upside long-term.