Rueben Chinyelu receives national Player of the Week honor after back-to-back double-doubles
By Andrew Olson
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Rueben Chinyelu has been a key part of Florida‘s success in SEC play, and the Gator big is getting some national recognition. Chinyelu was named the Naismith Player of the Week on Monday. The honor comes after Chinyelu posted a pair of double-doubles in a 2-0 week for Florida.
Todd Golden‘s team was in bounce-back mode after a home loss to Auburn on Jan. 24. The Gators took out their frustrations at South Carolina in midweek action, winning 95-48 in Columbia. Chinyelu had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the victory that put the Gators back in the win column.
have you heard of him? pic.twitter.com/2Ep8zqJGXz
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 2, 2026
Chinyelu and the Gators were in the national spotlight on Sunday. The junior big man turned in a stellar performance. In the box score, Chinyelu logged 14 points and 17 rebounds. It was his 6th double-double in Florida’s last 7 outings, and his 13th time this season reaching double figures in both points and rebounds.
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In addition to his double-double, Chineylu also impressed with his defense.
BEST DEFENDER IN ALL OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 1, 2026
ABC pic.twitter.com/KNPL5xapgW
Chinyelu and the Gators, ranked No. 17 in the new AP Top 25, will look to stay hot as they gear up to face Texas A&M on Saturday. The Aggies are not ranked in the AP Poll, but sit atop the SEC standings at 7-1 in conference play, a half game ahead of UF.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
