ChompTalk.com

Sophomore guard Tre Mann, the Gators leading scorer for the 2020-21 season, declared for the NBA Draft Wednesday.

The announcement came three days after the season-ending loss to Oral Roberts in the NCAA Tournament, in a statement released on Twitter.

Mann led the Gators with 16.0 points and 3.5 assists per game, as well as pulling down 5.6 rebounds and swiping 1.4 steals per game. He caught fire to end the season, scoring 19 or more points in all but one of Florida’s final seven games. The stretch included a 28-point second half in an SEC Tournament loss to Tennessee.

Mann took a huge leap from his freshman year. His first season in Gainesville, he averaged just 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists.

After the transfer of Andrew Nembhard, Mann became the team’s main ball handler. From his first to second seasons, Mann increased his minutes from 17.8 to 32.4 per game. He also evolved into a much more efficient player, shooting 45.9% from the field and 40.2% from three on 12.1 field goal attempts per game. A year ago, he shot 35.6% from the court and 27.5% from deep on just 5.5 attempts per game.

The question for Mann this upcoming offseason won’t be if he gets drafted, but where to and how early. He rose all the way to 15th in ESPN’s NBA Big Board.

Mann declared for the NBA Draft a year ago as well but preserved his eligibility upon doing so before withdrawing from the draft to return to Florida just two and a half months later.

Without Mann, Florida’s backcourt will retain Tyree Appleby and sharpshooter Noah Locke for 2021-22, as well as sophomore Ques Glover and freshman Niels Lane. Head coach Mike White will also welcome Kowacie Reeves to Gainesville, an incoming four-star recruit from Macon, Georgia. Reeves, weighing in at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, ranks 78th on ESPN’s Top 100.