Nearly two months ago Todd Golden coached Florida to their first national championship in nearly two decades, and the third title in the program’s history. As the offseason has chugged along, the Gators have looked more and more like a team that could potentially repeat as champions, and Tuesday’s news certainly cemented that point.
After flirting with the NBA Draft process in recent weeks, 6-11 forward Alex Condon affirmed that he would return to the Gators for his junior season. Condon was a starter in a very talented frontcourt on that national championship team, and the native Australian should be even better in his third year of college ball.
Condon averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Gators this past season, with decent shooting numbers and advanced metrics. His season included a handful of double-doubles and other clutch performances. He put up a career-best 27 points in a road win at Alabama march before helping spearhead Florida’s run to SEC and NCAA Tournament titles.
When Florida repeated as national champions in 2006 and 2007, Billy Donovan’s crew retained nearly their entire roster, with those Gators running it back and achieving that dream. Things are a little different even with Condon’s return, as notable backcourt pieces Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin are among the departures. However, this new era of NIL and the transfer portal has allowed the Gators to fill those holes.
Golden’s staff made major headway by landing Princeton guard Xaivian Lee and Arkansas guard Boogie Fland in the portal, getting two talented scoring guards with boatloads of potential. The Gators get both Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh back for their junior years as well, and those two frontcourt players should also take steps forward for this team.
The championship run won’t soon be forgotten in Gainesville, but this starting five has the talent to be one of the best in the nation once again. Condon’s return really cements this frontcourt, with the Gators getting three really talented sophomores back for what could be special junior seasons. We haven’t even mentioned the other returning and new pieces, like 7-9 center Olivier Rioux, a redshirt last season.
The bottom line is that Condon could be a special talent in the NBA and professional level, but he’s willing to bet on himself and spend another year in Gainesville with what looks like a special team. Can Florida strike gold for a second straight season with this talented rotation?