Florida has landed Rice grad transfer Egor Koulechov.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior averaged 18.2 points and 8.9 rebounds this past season for the Owls. He told ESPN that he chose Mike White and the Gators over Oklahoma.
"It just feels right to go back where it all started and I trust the coaching staff in Florida," said Koulechov, who was born in Russia but played his high school ball in Florida. "I wanna thank everyone who recruited me, especially Oklahoma, Lon Kruger and Carlin Hartman. They're truly exceptional people. I would be very lucky to play for them."
Koulechov should help a Florida team that advanced to the Elite Eight this season. The Gators lost wing Canyon Barry and also forward Devin Robinson, who announced he was leaving school early and signing with an agent.
Koulechov began his college career at Arizona State, but left for Rice after his freshman season. He was a first-team All-Conference USA player this past season and shot 47 percent from beyond the arc.