Florida basketball: Star PG Tre Mann declares for 2021 NBA Draft

By Adam Silverstein
March 24, 2021
Florida basketball: Star PG Tre Mann declares for 2021 NBA Draft
Basketball

Image Credit: GatorsMBK / Twitter

After emerging as a team leader and consummate playmaker for the Florida Gators this season, sophomore point guard Tre Mann announced Wednesday that he has decided to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft. Mann will hire an agent, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givenoy, making him ineligible to return to school once he officially declares.

“After much consideration, I have decided to take the next step in my basketball career and will declare for the 2021 NBA draft,” Mann told ESPN. “To Gator Nation, your love and support will always hold a special place in my heart. I will be hiring an agent to help guide me through this process. …

“I would like to thank Coach [Mike] White and his staff at the University of Florida for believing in me and helping to shape me into the man and player I am today. Thank you to all my teammates who shared the Gator uniform with me for the last two seasons. Thank you to my family for always providing me with love and support. No words can ever describe how grateful I am to you.”

Mann (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season. He was frequently the Gators’ leading scorer down the stretch and posted 19 points or more in six of Florida’s final seven games.

Though his departure was expected — Mann tested the waters after the 2019-20 season and significantly improved his level of play this year — it is nevertheless a significant blow for a Gators team that failed to meet expectations in 2020-21 and has a roster in flux.

Mann was supposed to lead a strong three-headed offensive attack. However, junior forward Keyontae Johnson — the Preseason SEC Player of the Year — was lost for the season after collapsing early in a game at Florida State in December 2020. It is unknown if he will be cleared to play again. Sophomore guard Scottie Lewis, a highly recruited wing, flashed during the season but did not live up to lofty expectations.

A projected first-round pick, Mann will now wait to see how the NBA Draft process unfolds. The event had not been scheduled at this time, and it is unknown whether there will be an NBA Combine or other pre-draft workouts or visits.

Join The
Discussion

Your email address will not be published.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

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux