GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ UF point guard Andrew Nembhard tested the NBA Draft waters last spring and found them a bit too chilly.
Nembhard hopes for a warmer reception to professional basketball this time around after the sophomore declared early entry to the NBA Draft, the school confirmed on Sunday.
With the NBA draft early-entry deadline at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nembhard waited until the 11th hour to announce his decision.
Nembhard did not appear in nine prominent mock drafts aggregated earlier this month by the Web site Hoops Hype. A native of Canada who was a standout at Montverde Academy, Nembhard could withdraw his name from the draft _ as he did in 2019 _ or could opt to play overseas if the NBA does not work out for him.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported Nembhard signed with Jaafar Choufani, one of the 23 NCAA-certified agents, in order to make sure he can retain his college eligibility.
The 6-foot-5, 193-pound Nembhard has a solid all-around game and a high basketball IQ, but a lack of explosiveness and consistency as an outside shooter are question marks. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 assists and three rebounds this past season for the Gators. Nembhard also started all 67 games during his two seasons at UF.
Nembhard's departure paves the way for Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appleby to assume point guard duties for the Gators.
The 6-foot-1, 163-pound Appleby, who sat out last season, averaged 17.2 points and 5.9 assists during the 2018-19 season at Cleveland State.
Earlier this month, sophomore forward Keyontae Johnson and freshman guard Scottie Lewis announced their return to UF for another season, a boost to coach Mike White's team.
Johnson led the Gators with an average 14 points and 38 total steals to earn first-team All-SEC honors. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward was second on the team with 7.1 rebounds a game and a 3-point shooting percentage of 38. He also chipped in 49 assists.
Lewis was a McDonald's All-American and No. 7 overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, leading many to wonder whether he would play more than one season of college basketball.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound Lewis developed as the season wore on, closing with a career-high 19 points against Kentucky and three of four games in double figures after managing that just once during his previous 12 games. Lewis, who turned 20 in March, averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocked shots and 1.2 steals. He shot 44.1% from the field, including 40.6% from 3-point range.
