NCAA Basketball: Top 25 offseason winners entering 2024-25 season

No. 14 - Florida Gators: Experienced backcourt and a breakout big

After an eighth-win improvement from year one to year two under Todd Golden, the Florida Gators and their high-octane offense are primed to continue last year’s strong finish, winning 13 of its final 18 SEC games, including its run to the SEC Tournament championship game.

With one of the best pure scoring guards in the SEC, Walter Clayton Jr., announcing his return after withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft after earning second-team All-SEC honors last season, the Florida Gators now boast an experienced backcourt supplemented by Will Richard and Alijah Martin (Florida Atlantic) that expects to compete near the top of the ever-so-daunting SEC.

Another name to watch out for in Gainesville is Alex Condon, who was recently named a top-10 sophomore breakout candidate. With seven-footer Micah Handlogten expecting to redshirt this season, the 6-foot-11 Condon will have the keys to the paint, where he averaged  7.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG on one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the country last season.

It was a strong offseason for the Florida Gators. Its experienced backcourt is back and Alex Condon is ready for a monster breakout sophomore season. The pieces are in place for the Gators to take another step forward, making them a clear offseason winner entering year three of the Todd Golden era.