When Alex Condon dove on the Alamodome flooring for a unfastened ball as time expired on Florida’s 65-63 national-title recreation victory over Houston in April, it marked the end result of a speedy return to prominence for the Gators below coach Todd Golden. Florida had not been previous the primary weekend of the NCAA Event since 2017 till it tore by means of the 2025 Massive Dance and minimize down the nets in San Antonio.
Golden elevated Florida from 16-17 in his first season to 24-12 with a return to the NCAA Event in his second season. Then got here a quantum leap that returned UF to the heights of Billy Donovan’s legendary tenure. Florida tied a school-record with 36 victories as Golden, who simply turned 40 in July, pulled up a chair at a desk with the sport’s greats.
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Now comes the encore. Florida’s three-headed guard monster of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard has departed, however the Gators will not be brief on continuity as they mount their nationwide title protection. With star forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon subsequent to a top-flight tandem of facilities in Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten, Florida can be a power once more in 2025-26 and is ranked No. 6 within the CBS Sports activities High 25 And 1 early rankings.
It might be no shock if the Gators land close to the highest of the preseason AP ballot. With Golden on the sidelines and an attractive crop of perimeter expertise arriving by way of the portal to enrich arguably the nation’s prime frontcourt, Florida has a legit likelihood to comply with up UConn’s back-to-back titles with consecutive championships of its personal.
In spite of everything, it has been accomplished at Florida earlier than. Previous to the Huskies in 2023 and 2024, Florida was the game’s final back-to-back champion in 2006 and 2007. With the offseason participant motion cycle wrapped up and the 2025-26 season creeping nearer, we’re taking a better take a look at the rosters of faculty basketball’s prime contenders. Here is the breakdown on the reigning nationwide champions.
The 2025 Summer season Shootaround rolls on with Matt Norlander speaking to Jim Root and Ky of @threemanweave8462 concerning the nationwide champion Florida Gators. Will the Gators go back-to-back, or will they fall wanting expectations?
Projected beginning lineup
1. Xaivian Lee | 6-4 | 180 | Sr.
Lee was only a position participant as a freshman on Princeton’s Candy 16 squad in 2023 earlier than creating right into a two-time all-Ivy League performer. After working the present for the Tigers, Lee (+6500 to win the Picket Award at FanDuel) will probably share ball-handling duties with Boogie Fland. He shines when capturing off the dribble, very similar to Walter Clayton Jr. did for Florida final season. As such, he needs to be a pure slot in Golden’s system, although it will clearly be outlandish to anticipate him to totally substitute Clayton’s manufacturing.
2. Boogie Fland | 6-3 | 180 | So.
The previous five-star prospect performed simply 21 video games as a freshman for Arkansas final season amid a thumb harm that required midseason surgical procedure. However his offensive upside as a facilitator (5.1 assists per recreation) and shooter (36.8% from 3=level vary earlier than his harm) had been amply clear. Like Lee, Fland (+5000 to win the Picket Award at FanDuel) is unafraid to let it fly off the dribble, however he wants to enhance at ending by means of contact within the paint.
3. Thomas Haugh | 6-9 | 215 | Jr.
Golden has made no secret of the truth that Haugh (+10000 to win the Picket Award at FanDuel) will play considerably extra on the 3 in 2025-26 after he was deployed as a super-sub 4 throughout a breakout sophomore season. He is a voracious rebounder, versatile defender and is self-aware offensively. Haugh thrives on the rim as a relentless downhill driver in transition and as a cutter/curler. However in the event you give him house, he can drill 3-pointers. A robust junior season will get him severe NBA Draft appears to be like.
4. Alex Condon | 6-11 | 230 | Jr.
Condon is again for extra after flirting with the NBA Draft following an all-SEC sophomore season. The versatile Australian massive (+10000 to win the Picket Award at FanDuel) runs the ground like a deer but additionally has 3-point capturing and conventional post-ups in his bag. Defensively, he is received the fitting mixture of measurement and mobility to guard the paint and maintain his personal on the perimeter.
5. Rueben Chinyelu | 6-10 | 265 | Jr.
Chinyelu was a savvy 2024 portal pickup for Florida, which wanted his measurement final season after a devastating harm to Micah Handlogten within the 2024 SEC Event. Whereas the ex-Washington State massive man is not overwhelmingly expert, his uncommon mixture of measurement, athleticism and motor makes him an ideal match for a workforce that runs in transition and crushes opponents on the glass.
Off the bench
Micah Handlogten | 7-1 | 265 | Sr.
Handlogten may have taken a medical redshirt final season after a grotesque leg harm within the 2024 SEC Event. However the 7-footer returned to play a beneficial bench position over the stretch run. He’s one more nice rebounder and inside finisher and can contribute to Florida’s effort to bodily overwhelm opponents.
A.J. Brown | 6-4 | 210 | R-Jr.
The older brother of sophomore guard Isaiah Brown hit 38.8% of his 3-pointers on 4.8 makes an attempt per recreation at Ohio final season. He is the form of low-usage, spot-up capturing menace who may fill a model of the position that Will Richard performed final season.
CJ Ingram | 6-6 | 202 | Fr.
Ingram shot up the recruiting rankings as a senior to complete the 2025 recruiting cycle ranked No. 19 within the class by 247Sports. He was additionally a highschool soccer participant and brings physicality to the wing. On condition that he is a late bloomer who turns 18 on Aug. 12, his offensive contributions are more likely to be restricted as a freshman.
City Klavzar | 6-1 | 195 | Jr.
Klavzar was a summer time dedication final season who did not get cleared by the NCAA till after the season began. However he nonetheless discovered a distinct segment as a 20-year outdated newcomer, logging 10 minutes per recreation in 26 appearances. He is a 3-point menace who possesses some classic European craftiness as a reserve guard.
Isaiah Brown | 6-4 | 210 | So.
Brown by no means fairly cracked the rotation as a freshman for a workforce that stayed remarkably wholesome. As he competes for minutes this 12 months, he’ll achieve this alongside his brother, A.J. Brown.
Alex Lloyd | 6-3 | 178 | Fr.
Lloyd was the No. 41 prospect within the class and comes with plenty of offensive potential. Incomes a direct position will not be simple, however there’s clearly upside right here with an in-state prospect who was a late riser within the class.
Filling out the roster
The Gators have a humiliation of riches within the frontcourt. Rioux gained high quality recreation expertise for Canada within the FIBA U19 World Cup over the summer time. In the meantime, Mikic performed a key position for Serbia within the U20 Euro Championship. Kovatchev provides guard depth after lacking all however 4 video games as a consequence of harm at Sacramento State final season. He was a part of the Hornets’ guard rotation as a freshman in 2023-24.
- Alex Kovatchev | 6-5 | 190 | R-So.
- Viktor Mikes | 6-11 | 250 | So.
- Olivier Rioux | 7-9 | 305 | R-Fr.
Market watch
Florida’s odds to win 2026 NCAA Event (by way of Fanduel): +1700
The totally intact return of Florida’s elite frontcourt provides the Gators an extremely excessive flooring as they mount their national-title protection. There is not a workforce in faculty basketball that boasts the identical mixture of measurement, athleticism and rebounding tenacity. If there is a query for the Gators to reply, it is at guard.
Fland and Lee had been every top-30 transfers, however they’ve large footwear to fill. Clayton, Martin and Richard had been proficient exterior shooters and good on the rim final season. Ending within the lane was a weak point in Fland’s recreation at Arkansas, and it is not a power for Lee, both. Golden’s need to play Haugh at small ahead alongside Condon and Chinyelu can even be an enchanting experiment.
A foul end result of going with a giant lineup could be a discount in floor-spacing that mixes with poor ending chops from the guards to create offensive regression. However even in that state of affairs, Florida would nonetheless be nice at protection and rebounding. The optimistic various end result is that the Gators bodily dominate opponents whereas additionally benefiting from having two facilitators on their strategy to one other Remaining 4.