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The recruiting wins for Florida Gators basketball continued late Sunday night as the program landed a commitment from Cleveland State transfer point guard Tyree Appleby. A standout mid-major floor general and scorer, Appleby announced his decision on his Twitter account.
As an undergraduate transfer, Appleby (6-foot-1, 165 pounds) will not be eligible until the 2020-21 season as he must serve a year in residence per NCAA rules. He will likely try to add bulk to play in the SEC after averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists in the Horizon League last season.
There is no telling what Florida’s point guard situation will look like by the time he does suit up for the Gators. Sophomore Andrew Nembhard has already tested the NBA Draft waters once, and five-star freshman Tre Mann could theoretically be a one-and-done player.
Of course, head coach Mike White will always find playing time for a scoring point guard like Appleby, who committed to Florida due in part to his familiarity with White. Appleby’s brother Raheem played for White at Louisiana Tech.
Appleby is the third transfer that the Gators have added this offseason, joining fellow sophomore undergraduate transfer Anthony Duruji from Louisiana Tech and graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear from Virginia Tech. White hoped to land all three players and succeeded, setting Florida up for success this season and beyond.
Appleby and Duruji will have two years of eligibility remaining once activated for the Gators. Blackshear will be active for the 2019-20 season in his final year of eligibility.