GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Rueben Chinyelu started the season as the third and fairly distant option in Florida State’s crowded frontcourt.
Thomas Haugh is the team’s most versatile player, a 6-foot-9 glue player who can beat opponents, shoot 3-pointers and rarely need a break. Alex Condon is the program’s next NBA star, a 6-foot-11 post player whose reach and ball-handling ability are so good that coach Todd Golden chooses to run his offense through him.
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Chinyelu, meanwhile, is something of an afterthought. The 6-foot-10 junior has the ability to do the dirty work in the post, but he just can’t seem to hold up against the defending national champion Gators.
He has since defied expectations, made one of the most impressive one-year jumps in program history, and become the face of Golden’s “ugly and dirty” approach. He might even be the most complete big man in the Southeastern Conference.
“We’ve figured out who we are and how we want to play,” Golden said Monday. “Ruben deserves credit for that as well because we were able to get away from him in the post. He was there to exploit the possession and take the pressure off other players.”
Averaging 11.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Chinyale is on track to become Florida’s first player in 50 years to average a double-double and is emerging as a go-to scoring option and defensive stopper.
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He was at his best during the team’s 98-94 victory over the then-No. 1 team. No. 10 Vanderbilt scored a career-high 20 points on Saturday, along with 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He also made all six of his attempts from the free throw line.
It was his third consecutive double-double and sixth in Florida State’s past eight games. The 16th-ranked Gators (13-5, 4-1 SEC) enter Tuesday night’s game against LSU (13-5, 1-4) on a four-game winning streak and eight wins in nine games.
Chinyelu was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday.
“I’m proud of everything, just every 1 percent improvement in every aspect. It’s a beautiful thing,” Chinyelu said. “So I just enjoy it.”
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This is necessary for Florida State, which ranks 353rd nationally (out of 361 teams) in 3-point shooting percentage. The Gators shot just 28.4% from beyond the arc, and the season-long slump prompted Golden to adjust the team’s offense.
Rather than settling for outside shots, Florida State focused more on limiting turnovers, driving the ball inside and ensuring easy shots for one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country.
Chinyelu’s presence made this possible. Howe and Condon remain strong forces for the Gators, but Chinyere’s improvement makes them less formidable on both ends of the floor.
He spent the offseason improving his durability, range and free throw shooting. His size — 260 pounds — has never been an issue, but he’s finding new ways to frustrate his opponents. Earlier this month, he appeared to lure Georgia standout and fellow Nigerian Somuto Cyril into a forearm throw, leading to Cyril’s ejection.
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“Yeah, I think he sneaked an elbow in himself,” Condon said. “He’s always on you, always physical. He’ll listen to the referee say, ‘You guys separate,’ and then go back and tire the guys out. That takes a toll on a guy and I know I don’t like that, so I imagine what he did to the other team.”
In 2023, Golden tried to sign Chinyelu after scouting him at NBA Academy Africa, but Chinyelu ultimately chose Washington State University. A year later, Golden sent him into the transfer portal.
Last season, as a sophomore, Chinyelu averaged 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and was the sixth option on the championship roster. Even with the transformation of Florida’s offense, few saw this consistency coming.
“He’s definitely made tremendous progress,” Golden said. “Ruben has gotten to the point now where he’s going to be near the top of the scouting report every night.”
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