Florida Gators Sophomore Tre Mann Hires Agent, Declares for NBA Draft

The Florida Gators will be losing its best player from the 2021 season in point guard Tre Mann, declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Florida Gators basketball sophomore Tre Mann has decided to forego his last years of eligibility, officially declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft today.

"After much consideration, I have decided to take the next step in my basketball career and will declare for the 2021 NBA draft," Mann said via 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."

Mann dominated the competition throughout the latter portion of this season, averaging 20.9 points over the last seven games, including 3.1 assists per game and 5.6 defensive rebounds per game. He was simply electric, providing Florida with plenty of opportunities to take over the contests.

"My season at Florida was filled with a lot of individual growth with the significant increase of playing time and emphasis on fulfilling my role," Mann said.

"However, this year was filled with adversity in [the form of] COVID and the loss of Keyontae [Johnson]. While we didn't reach our goal as a team in the NCAA tournament, it was a great experience nonetheless."

The Gators underwent plenty of trials and tribulations as a team. Along with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that led to the team postponing a game or two throughout the season, Florida also lost one of its star players in Keyontae Johnson for the season due to a medical emergency.

While Florida did suffer plenty, it did earn itself a bid in the NCAA Tournament, however, the Gators would go on to lose in round two to Oral Roberts, not able to make it to the Sweet 16. Florida went on to finish with a record of 15-10 overall, and 9-7 within the talented SEC.

For Mann, at 6-foot-5, he hopes to continue to showcase his impressive ball-handling and shot creation skills to the NBA as he proceeds to the next phase of his life.

"I think that NBA teams were able to see my ability to play on and off the ball as well as my improved stats across the board," Mann said. "I was able to showcase my leadership skills, efficiency shooting the ball, defensive versatility and ability to rebound."

Mann went on to tell ESPN that he was eager to show NBA teams his athleticism, and wants to showcase that he does have an ability to shoot from a far distance, getting others involved in the offense too.

"I would like to thank Coach 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," he said.

"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."

Currently, there is no set date for when the 2021 NBA Draft will take place, nor has there been any clarification regarding how the pre-draft process will work. Mann is likely headed to the draft after his stellar season, however, if the process is similar to last season, he may have an opportunity to change his mind.