Cleveland State transfer Tyree Appleby committed to Florida during his official visit to Gainesville. Appleby had narrowed his choices to Florida and Texas A&M but after entering the transfer portal on July 1, he also heard from Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas Tech and Tulane.

He announced the decision on his Instagram page.

He fills a scholarship that opened when Isaiah Stokes decided to transfer from UF.

Once he entered the portal, Gators head coach Mike White was able to quickly get Florida strongly into the mix due to his relationship with Appleby and his family. White recruited Appleby’s brother Raheem to Louisiana Tech and coached him for four seasons. Raheem won all-conference honors in three of his four seasons at Louisiana Tech.

Appleby, the first Cleveland State player to record a triple-double, led the Vikings in scoring (17.2), assists (5.6), and steals (1.4) last season on his way to earning second-team All-Horizon League honors. After sitting out the 2019-20 season, due to NCAA transfer rules, he will have two years of eligibility left.

A very good jump shooter with range, Appleby scored very efficiently coming off screens and in hand off plays. A terrific facilitator, Appleby’s 2018-19 season assist rate of 37.4 ranked No. 12 nationally. He also ranked in the 92nd percentile of all Division I players in points per possession + assists.

This season Appleby will spend his time playing point guard on the Gators scout team and adding strength to his 6-foot-1, 165 pound frame.

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