Gators Basketball One Decision Away from Being Set to Defend Title

The Florida Gators added another stone to their gauntlet with transfer Boogie Fland committing on Tuesday. Now, they are an Alex Condon decision away from being primed for a 2026 National Championship run. 

“We've had good conversations with Alex,” Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden told the media Thursday. “I'm cautiously optimistic, but we're going to — again — be very mindful of his process.”

Condon had declared for the 2025 NBA Draft following the national championship win over Houston. Since then, he has been working with trainers and attended the NBA Combine to showcase his talents to NBA scouts. 

With a deadline of May 28 to decide whether or not he is staying in the draft, a decision is to be expected in the coming days. 

“I think we'll find out, my hope is on the 27th, the day before the deadline, and I'm hoping for good news for the Gators,” Golden said. 

Getting the Aussie back in the orange and blue will play a large role in how the season pans out.

Condon is an important figure in Florida's offense, playing as one of the main playmaking hubs for the Gators. The ball is put in his hands anywhere on the court a chunk of the time and he is expected to make quick decisions on the fly. 

It is also vital for the Gators that Condon returns when you look at the depth at the big men spots. 

While their talent at the position is not awful, it will impact the numbers in the frontcourt. The Gators have Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten to play the four and five positions. Although Haugh has been earmarked to play some more minutes at the three next year. So, they could be thin if Condon does not come back for his junior year. 

Whatever the decision is will not impact how Golden views the big man, though. 

“But I love Condo regardless, and he obviously was really impactful in us winning the national championship,” he said. “So, we're grateful for him."

Golden and his staff have also been working overtime to rebuild his backcourt after losing the veteran trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. 

Replacing these three is nearly impossible given their accomplishments with the program last season, but bringing in former Princeton guard Xaivian Lee and former Arkansas guard Fland is about as good as it gets. 

Lee is in his fourth year at the college level after spending three effective years at Princeton. For his past two seasons, where he started every game, he averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 assists per game while also shooting 35% from deep. 

Fland is coming off a strong freshman campaign where he averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. 

What is notable about the duo of Lee and Fland is that they give Golden two players who have self-creation and can create open shots for others around them. This is great for Golden because it gives him multiple ball handlers for the offense.

“To have two guys that can play so well with the ball in their hands, they make plays for themselves, but also for others really, really well,” Golden said. “When you have two point guards that are out there making plays, I think it makes your offense really dynamic.”

The Gators have brought more than just these two into the backcourt from the portal, though. They also signed former Ohio wing AJ Brown, brother of current Gator Isaiah Brown.

“He's just really an efficient scorer,” Golden said. “A guy that can finish from 2, really shot the ball well from 3 last year. And a guy, as we're kind of putting the pieces to this puzzle together, will provide a scoring punch for us and a guy that can make shots.”

On top of these three, the Gators will also have guards Urban Klavzar and Isaiah back in the fold for the 2025-26 season. Additionally, Florida signed two top-50 recruits, Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram, in the 2025 class. 

So, it’s safe to say the talent will be there next season with or without Condon, but having him in Gainesville, Fla., next season could be the biggest piece of the puzzle. 

More From Gators Illustrated