Florida point guard Andrew Nembhard plans to withdraw from the NBA draft and transfer, he confirmed Sunday.
Nembhard entered the draft and signed with an agent. There was always an expectation he would ultimately return to school, but his decision to transfer doesn't come as a complete surprise to Florida's coaches, sources told ESPN.
He took a similar approach after his freshman year and eventually returned to Florida after not getting invited to the NBA scouting combine.
"Although my time in Gainesville has come to an end, I appreciate everything that I have achieved as a Gator and I am grateful for all our team accomplishments," he wrote.
There had been rumors toward the end of the 2019-20 season that Nembhard might look to continue his career elsewhere.
A 6-foot-5 point guard from Canada, Nembhard started all 67 games for Florida the past two seasons. The SEC All-Freshman selection averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds as a sophomore last season, but he was inconsistent offensively for most of the final few weeks of the campaign.
Thank you Gator Nation!🐊 pic.twitter.com/bPoEMnZcnG
— Andrew Nembhard (@AndrewNembhard) June 1, 2020
With 173 assists and 80 turnovers in 2019-20, his assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 49th in the country.
Nembhard, a former top-30 recruit in the 2018 class, should generate significant interest on the transfer market. He will likely have to sit out next season before having two years of eligibility remaining, but he could apply for a waiver to play immediately next season.
Florida, a potential preseason top-25 team, will turn to former McDonald's All American Tre Mann at point guard next season. The Gators also return rising sophomore Ques Glover, who saw an increased role during the middle part of the season, and bring in Louisiana Tech transfer Tyree Appleby, who sat out last season after averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists in 2018-19.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.