Florida basketball: Tre Mann declares for 2021 NBA Draft

Florida Gators sophomore guard Tre Mann has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, which was a move that was expected from the beginning of the season. The Gainesville native announced on Twitter that he plans to forgo the rest of his career as a Gator and start his professional career.

Here was his tweet:

Before his time at Florida, Mann was a McDonald’s All-American from Villages Charter School. In his senior year of high school, he averaged 23.6 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 3 assists per game. Coming out of high school, Mann was ranked #31 in ESPN’s Top 100, ultimately choosing to stay home and attend Florida.

In his freshman campaign on campus, Mann made an immediate impact as soon as he stepped on the court. He started in the Gator’s first 4 games before coming off the bench but still playing a significant role averaging almost 18 minutes per game. In his freshman year at Florida, he also averaged 5.3 points per game and 2 rebounds per game.

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Mann saw a considerable increase in production this year as a sophomore, which ultimately led to him shooting up the NBA team’s draft boards. Mann averaged 16 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 5.6 rebounds per game. It also helped that Mann grew another inch and is now up to 6’5’’.

Mann had to step up and showcase his leadership skills when fellow teammate Keyontae Johnson was lost for the season. The scouts have also highlighted Mann’s ability to handle the ball and knock down jump shots from an NBA range, along with those leadership skills.

Most draft scouts have Mann on the cusp of a lottery pick in the middle of the first round. However, he could be an early 2nd round pick too. I compare Mann to Dallas Mavericks Guard Josh Richardson. Richardson is also 6’5’’ and can light up the scoreboard when he gets going. Mann’s lankiness helps him defensively as well as get rebounds.

Mann will be a great asset on any team that drafts him. Mann was the man for Florida this season. He showed what a year of development, growth, and maturity can do to improve his game. I believe Tre Mann still has more to accomplish in his basketball career; the only question will be for what NBA team?