Florida Lands PG Andrew Nembhard (28th in the Class of 2018)

Andrew Nembhard, the 28th ranked player in the Class of 2018 (per 247) has committed to the University of Florida. With Nembhard’s commitment, Mike White has landed a floor general that the Gators will surely need following Chris Chiozza’s departure.

The Ontario native is the 7th-ranked point guard in the Class of 2018, per 247. Nembhard chose Florida over Virginia, Seton Hall, Ohio State, Gonzaga, USC, UCONN and Stanford, according to his Twitter account.

#COMMITTED 💯🐊🏀 #GoGators pic.twitter.com/LAGZcF6u1j

— Andrew Nembhard (@AndrewNembhard) October 2, 2017

The Lowdown

Earlier this month, Nembhard reclassified to the Class of 2018 after originally holding Class of 2019 eligibility. During his recruitment, Nembhard had this to say about the Gators.

“Their style of play definitely stands out. Their point guards they have been producing like Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza, they play fast, like I want to play like, and play full-court defense, which is what I want. They give their guards a lot of freedom.”

Nembhard’s Game

The Florida commit stands at 6’5″ and 175 pounds, per DraftExpress. While Nembhard is from Ontario, he played high school basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida. Nembhard plays with tremendous pace, which will allow him to slide easily into Mike White’s system upon arrival in Gainesville.

Along with his speed, Nembhard is a terrific ball-handler who loves to distribute and find his teammates in the open court. The 17-year old will need to work on his jump shot, which scouts have described as mechanically poor and inconsistent.

Nembhard doesn’t turn the ball over often and is quite astute on defense. Inside, he has a knack for finishing off the glass, but struggles overall at the rim. Nembhard, nine times out of ten, would rather make the assist than the shot.

Where Does He Fit In?

Following the 2017-2018 season, the Gators will lose Chris Chiozza to graduation. Chiozza, currently, is Florida’s only true point guard. While Michael Okauru is intriguing as a point guard and an athlete, his handles have been criticized by numerous scouts.  Nembhard may very well be the Gators’ starting point guard during the 2018-2019 season.

Player Comparison

In my opinion, Andrew Nembhard compares closely to Rajon Rondo. Before you bash the comparison, Rondo is a 4-time NBA All-Star, 2-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selectee and averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game in his final year at Kentucky. Florida would be stoked if Nembhard ends up anything close to Rondo.

Big weekend for Florida. Hosting Andrew Nembhard & Noah Locke for official visits. Omar Payne checking out the school today as well.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) September 30, 2017