Gators F Anthony Duruji Declares for NBA Draft

On Friday afternoon, Gators forward Anthony Duruji declared for the NBA Draft, via his Twitter page.

Anthony Duriji’s career with Florida basketball

Duruji played 2 years for the Gators under former coach Mike White after transferring from Louisiana Tech. He was a key piece of Florida’s rotation, averaging 7.4 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game during his time in Gainesville. For his whole career, Duruji scored 8.7 points and grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game. His overall production went down as a Gator, but his court presence and locker room leadership made him a vital part of the team.

While his numbers didn’t jump off the page, he had a major effect on the defensive end of the court and made plenty of electric plays at the rim offensively. One of his most memorable plays came in the 2021 March Madness Tournament, during the Gators’ first-round matchup with Virginia Tech.

The future of Florida basketball & departures

Duruji’s explosiveness and play-making potential is something that Florida will miss, and will definitely draw the eyes of some NBA scouts.

Some players simply test the waters of the NBA Draft and keep the option to return to school, but Duruji said on his Twitter that he “will be hiring an agent…to enter the 2022 NBA Draft.”

With the departure of guys like Castleton and Duruji, new head coach Todd Golden will have to find some new ways to establish a good paint presence in his first season.

The loss of Duruji is the second Gator player to announce that he won’t be returning for the 2022-2023 season in the past week. On Monday, Tyree Appleby announced that he would be transferring away from Florida for his final year of eligibility.

It will truly be a fresh start for Todd Golden when the season begins. Losing key veteran pieces like Castleton, Duruji, and Appleby will leave the team looking for new leadership in the locker room.

For more news tracking the Gator basketball offseason, go here and check out some more articles