Israeli point guard Nimrod Tishman is in class today at the University of Florida and will be eligible to play this season.

The 6-foot-6 freshman will add much-needed depth to a Gators' backcourt that was depleted by the early departure of former guard Nick Calathes. Tishman averaged 18 points per game in the Under-18 European Championships.

He will joing 5-foot-8 Erving Walker as the Gators' only scholarship guards on the 2009-10 roster. 

Meanwhile, sophomore Eloy Vargas has asked for and been granted his release from the team.

Vargas, a 6-foot-10 forward/center planned on visiting Kentucky last week and his departure isn't surprising. Florida coach Billy Donovan said at a booster function last week that Vargas most likely wouldn't be with the team much longer.

Vargas played just nine games last season due to ankle problems stemming from off-season surgery.

Donovan is well-known for being a coach that doesn't place restrictions on where a player transfers, having said many times that life is short and he wants kids that leave to be happy. And if that means at another SEC school, he has no problem with that. Former guard David Huertas transferred to Ole Miss following Florida's first national championship season.

So if Kentucky and Vargas are a fit, Donovan won't try to block him from joining the Wildcats.