Florida Gators Guard Tre Mann Counters Report on NBA Draft Withdrawal
In an eventful day for Florida Gators basketball roster news, freshman point guard Tre Mann has countered a report that he would be withdrawing his name from the 2020 NBA Draft. Mann intends to remain in the draft pool at this time, he announced on Twitter on Saturday night.
A report from New York Times Sports reporter Adam Zagoria surfaced earlier on Saturday that Mann had decided to return to Florida for his sophomore season after declaring for the draft in late April. That report followed news that Gators' starting point guard Andrew Nembhard, who entered the draft on the same day as Mann, planned to withdraw from the draft and transfer from Florida.
The 6-4, 174 lb. point guard and Gainesville native averaged 5.3 points per game last season, along with just 0.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds in an average of 17.8 minutes per game across 29 appearances. Mann competed with fellow freshman Ques Glover for meaningful minutes behind Nembhard throughout the season.
The future of Florida's point guard position relies heavily on Mann's pending decision. Should Nembhard ultimately transfer as he reportedly plans to, Florida will lose a veteran facilitator in an already inconsistent offense. Mann didn't live up to his consensus five-star rating as a freshman, but he brings plenty of scoring potential to the table and offers head coach Mike White a piece to continue developing at a thin position.
Glover tallied 4.4 points and 0.6 assists in 12.4 minutes per game as a freshman in 2019, playing in 31 games. The only other body on the roster at point guard is Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appelby, who sat out of the 2019 season due to eligibility rules. A high-scoring one, averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore while hitting 38.9% of his 190 shots from three, Appelby carries loads of potential but hails from the smaller Horizon League.
Mann's coming decision will shape the future of Florida's point guard position, and the Gators await word from the freshman himself.