Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu wins Naismith DPOY award after breakout season

Florida Gators junior center Rueben Chinyelu was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year at the Naismith Awards Brunch on Sunday at the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s awards ceremony. Chinyelu earned the honor over Kansas’ Flory Bidunga, St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor, and Houston’s Joseph Tugler, adding to a growing list of individual accolades this season.

Chinyelu averaged a double-double with 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in 35 contests, the first time in 50 years a Florida player has averaged double-figure rebounds. Of his 11.2 rebounds per game, 7.3 came on the defensive glass, ranking him fourth nationally. He regularly disrupted opponents with one block per game and averaged 3.9 offensive rebounds, the ninth-best across the country. His 137 offensive rebounds set a program single-season record, while his 393 total rebounds placed him third in the Gators history, behind Neal Walk’s 494 and 481 rebounds in 1967-68 and 1968-69.

Chinyelu also recorded 19 double-doubles, another single-season school record, and pulled off three 20-rebound games, including 21 boards against Merrimack on Nov. 21 and LSU on Jan. 20, making him the only Florida player this century to reach 20 rebounds in a game. He helped the Gators rank sixth nationally in defensive efficiency and eighth in two-point field goal percentage defense, with the team finishing among the top 10 in KenPom’s defensive ratings.

A native of Enugwu-Agidi, Nigeria, Chinyelu has also collected the National Association of Basketball Coaches Defensive Player of the Year (NABC), SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team, SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and part of the SEC Community Service Team. He also earned First-Team All-SEC honors from the AP and Second-Team All-SEC recognition from the league.

Chinyelu has started all 75 games in his two seasons at Florida, helping the Gators compile a 63-12 record that includes the 2025 NCAA Tournament championship, the SEC Tournament title, and the 2026 SEC regular season championship. With one season of eligibility remaining, he has yet to announce whether he will return to Gainesville or pursue professional opportunities.

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