Tre Mann disputes report of withdrawal from NBA Draft, planned return to Florida

By Adam Silverstein
May 30, 2020
Tre Mann disputes report of withdrawal from NBA Draft, planned return to Florida
Basketball

Image Credit: UAA

On the same day Andrew Nembhard not only withdrew from the 2020 NBA Draft but made public his decision to transfer from the Florida Gators, fellow point guard Tre Mann was forced to dispute a report from longtime college basketball Adam Zagoria about his status. After it was reported that the rising sophomore had decided to remove his name from draft consideration and return to Florida for the 2020-21 season, Mann clarified that he has not made a decision at this time.

“There has been a recent release of misinformation, I’m not sure who or where it came from but at this time, I have not made a decision on what I will be doing for my future,” he wrote on Twitter. “I am still going through the draft process at this time. Thanks for the support Go Gators!!!”

The deadline to withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft is Wednesday, June 3.

Mann declared for the draft on the same day as Nembhard last month. His decision to do so was deemed strange considering he averaged 5.3 points in 17.8 minutes per game during his freshman season. Though he was a five-star prospect and the No. 21 overall recruit coming out of high school, Mann did not do enough to warrant draft consideration, and he was not among the top prospects on most projected draft boards.

The Gators’ point guard situation for the 2020-21 season remains murky. If Mann returns, he wouldcertainly the front-runner to start for Florida, though he is more of a combo guard who also likes to play off the ball. He wouldcompete for a starting job with Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appleby, who is more of a natural ball handler. Appleby, a dynamic player who will become eligible this season, joined the team ahead of last season. Rising sophomore Ques Glover would be the third point guard on the team but should see plenty of action, certainly more if Mann does not return. UF did not sign a point guard in the Class of 2020.

Earlier Saturday, Nembhard decided to remove his name from the draft, but he has also chosen to transfer out of the Florida basketball program, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. Nembhard, who would have been entering his junior 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.

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 borderline-draftable players to test the system and hope for an invitation to the combine.

It was expected that Nembhard — and soon Mann — would pull out of the draft, though it was not known that Nembhard would transfer away from the Gators. Head coach Mike White’s uptempo offense had been slowed with Nembhard at the helm, and the player’s decision to move on may end up being a net positive for Florida next season despite the loss of his immense talent.

The decision by Nembhard 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.

Join The
Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux