Anthony Duruji makes final decision on future
Florida star Anthony Duruji made things official Friday. He’s heading to the NBA Draft.
Duruji released a statement on Twitter saying he’s heading to the draft and hiring an agent. That means he won’t return for another year of college basketball.
“I’m thankful for Coach [Mike] White and the whole coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to further my collegiate career,” Duruji wrote. “Huge thank you to Gator Nation & the community of Gainesville. I am blessed to have found my wife and become a Gator graduate.
“I have gained such great relationships and memories that will last a lifetime. … With that being said, I will be hiring an agent and forgoing my college eligibility to enter the 2022 NBA Draft.”
Duruji started his college career at Louisiana Tech before transferring to Florida in 2019. In his two years with Florida, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 55 games with the Gators, including 45 starts.
Florida finished 20-14 overall and 9-9 in SEC action. Mike White left after the season to become the new head coach at Georgia, where he’s replacing Tom Crean. The Gators moved to hire former San Francisco coach Todd Golden to replace White after the Dons’ NCAA Tournament loss.
Florida guard Tyree Appleby makes decision on NBA, 2022-23 season
Florida might be getting a big piece of their squad back for 2022 under new head coach Todd Golden. However, it’s not a done deal. After initially reporting that senior guard Tyree Appleby will return to Florida for another season, college hoops insider Jon Rothstein shared an update.
Though the former Cleveland State star intends to forgo the 2022 NBA Draft and use his extra year of eligibility, it may not be with the Gators.
Appleby, a native of Jacksonville, Arkansas, began his career at Cleveland State in 2017. After averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore, he opted to transfer to Florida. Due to past NCAA rules, Appleby sat out the 2019-20 season before making his debut as a starter for the Gators. In 2020-21, Appleby started 17 of 25 games for Mike White, averaging 11.3 points, and a team-leading 1.5 steals and 3.3 assists.
The 6-foot-1, 163-pound guard posted a career-low 10.9 points per game for Florida this season. The average was third on the team. He also notched a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Appleby shot 36% from the field, 34% from deep and 84% from the free-throw line. His best game of the season came in the win against No. 2-ranked Auburn. He had 26 points with five made three-pointers.