Gators Trio Named to Preseason Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team

Condon has been racking up the honors this offseason. In addition to this recognition from the coaches, he was also tabbed as a preseason AP All-American this summer. He now returns for his junior year with Florida and is a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

He spearheads the dangerous Florida frontcourt alongside Haugh, Micah Handlogten and Rueben Chinyelu. Furthermore, without Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard on the roster, Gator head coach Todd Golden expects him and the other members of the frontcourt to take on more leadership responsibilities. 

Meanwhile, Fland has big shoes to fill. He is tasked with replacing Clayton Jr.’s output from a season ago, which is highly unlikely. Moreover, that is why Gators head coach Todd Golden is refraining from comparing the two. 

“We're not comparing them to Walter and Alijah,” Golden said at SEC Media Day. “That's just not fair. I don't think it's healthy for us as a staff to do that. I don't think it's healthy for them as players to have to take on that expectation.”

They are also different players with their own playstyles. While Clayton Jr. can facilitate the ball to his teammates, he is more of a volume scorer who is capable of scoring 30 points any night. 

In Fland’s case, his best attributes are his passing and getting his teammates involved. He averaged 5.1 assists per game and had a 3.72 assist-to-turnover ratio in his debut season with the Razorbacks. 

“He's a great facilitator,” Golden said. “He does a great job of getting in the paint, making plays for others. Really unselfish that way. We need that from him because we have a lot of other really good players.”

Lastly, Haugh’s end-of-the-season run in a Gators uniform catapulted him into the eyes of the national media. He moved his way into second round draft projections for last year’s draft and now onto preseason third team All-SEC honors. 

However, this was not the only recognition he received on Thursday. Haugh was named to the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List as well. He averaged 9.8 points per game and 6.1 rebounds as a sophomore and was the only player to score in all 40 games for Florida last year. 

Golden has tweaked his position to start the year, though. Instead of coming off the bench as a backup forward, he now is working with the starting unit at the small forward spot. This is a significant change for Haugh and the Gators after running three guards last season, but one that can help them continue dominating the glass.  

“My hope is, offensively, we'll take care of the ball really well this year with this group, and we should be elite on the offensive glass,” Golden said on Haugh’s move to the wing. “He just allows us to continue to raise our floor with this specific team.”

Florida begins their season on Monday against the Arizona Wildcats in Las Vegas. The game has a tipoff time of 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on TNT.