Impact Analysis: What Egbunu's return means for Gators

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After declaring for the draft but not hiring an agent, Florida center John Egbunu has decided to return to school for his final season of eligibility.

Over the past two seasons, the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Egbunu has averaged 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds with 84 blocked shots in 58 games (49 starts) as a Gator. Last year as a redshirt junior, Egbunu averaged 7.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 24 appearances (19 starts) before suffering a torn ACL on Feb. 14.

Egbunu graduated from UF this spring with a degree in sociology.

"I'm a Florida Gator in my heart, so I wanted another chance to come back and be a Gator," Egbunu said in a school release. "I've graduated from here, and I love playing here, being a part of the culture and being with my teammates – it's a fun team to be around. It's also a chance for me to continue to improve and grow as a player and help the team however I can. And I can't forget to mention how great it is to play in front of the Rowdies and all of our Gator fans."

UF’s release mentions Egbunu being on schedule with his recovery and targeting a mid-January return. Following his surgery shortly after suffering the injury, Florida listed his recovery timetable at about 10-12 months.

When Egbunu is back in the mix during likely the second half of the 2017-18 season, it should be a big boost for Florida’s frontcourt, which returns junior forward/center Kevarrius Hayes and sophomore center Gorjok Gak. Redshirt forward Keith Stone has also played minutes at the five spot before, while the Gators also return redshirt freshman forward Dontay Bassett, who nursed a foot injury last season.

From the 2017 recruiting class, Florida adds a guard (Michael Okauru), three forwards (DeAundrae Ballard, Chase Johnson) and a center in Isaiah Stokes, but it’s unclear whether Stokes will be able to make a considerable impact during the 2017-18 season. He’s also expected to miss the start of the season with his own torn ACL in his knee he’s nursing.

With that in mind, the Gators should rely heavily upon Hayes and Gak before the return of Egbunu, an effective rim protector with a strong frame than those two.

Otherwise, from last year’s Elite Eight squad the Gators return guards Chris Chiozza, KeVaughn Allen and Jalen Hudson. This offseason, Florida also added Rice graduate transfer Egor Koulechov, who should contribute at the wing.

From last year’s roster, Florida loses guards Kasey Hill and Eric Hester (transferred to Akron), guard/forward Canyon Barry, forwards Devin Robinson Justin Leon, and center Schuyler Rimmer.

Barring any more unforeseen changes, Florida is currently at the NCAA scholarship limit of 13.

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