Todd Golden Hints at Final Big Addition This Offseason

A month removed from a national championship, head coach Todd Golden and the Florida Gators are not finished building the roster that will be tasked with defending its title.

After losing their three best guards to the draft, guard Denzel Aberdeen in the portal and facing the possibility of losing Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu as well, Golden has had to nearly revamp his roster.

However, after adding a pair of transfer guards in Xaivian Lee and AJ Brown, Golden is confident that the team is not done adding to its roster.

“We are still working on it," he said on the ‘Run It Back’ podcast co-hosted by former Gator Chandler Parsons. “We are close to adding an impactful player that might help get us over the top.”

This comment comes notably just a few days after a name often connected with the Gators, former Arkansas star guard Boogie Fland, removed himself from the NBA draft and began to focus on finding a new home in college.

Though Golden did not mention Fland by name, it can be easily implied that he was talking about the New York native, who averaged 13.5 points per game as a freshman for the Razorbacks. Florida reportedly leads his recruitment.

Golden is also rumored to have recently visited Fland in New York.

While the Gators have added two guards already in Lee and Brown, Fland would still project to fill the starting role next to Lee if he does choose the Gators. As a freshman, he shot almost 38 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point territory while dishing over five assists per game.

On top of a possible portal addition, Golden mentioned addition by retention in the form of Condon, who is mulling over a possible return to Florida or staying in the draft.

“Alex Condon’s decision will be really important… He's testing right now and being mocked late first, but he has a great opportunity waiting back here for him at Florida.” Golden said. “The fact that Tommy Haugh is coming back, they are best friends, so I think that might help.”

Florida is also waiting on a decision from Chinyelu, who started every game at center last season.

If Florida can bring both Condon and Chinyelu back while continuing to add through the portal, Fland or elsewhere, it could start feeling a lot more like 2007 in Gainesville as the Gators look to go back-to-back.

“If we can kind of put these couple of pieces together then I would be confident that we have a roster that can compete.” Golden said. “All you can really do is kinda put yourself in that arena and then you gotta catch some breaks, but that would be a team that could compete and kinda get back into that arena of playing late into March.”

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