When Alex Condon dove on the Alamodome floor for a loose ball as time expired on Florida’s 65-63 national-title game victory over Houston in April, it marked the culmination of a rapid return to prominence for the Gators under coach Todd Golden. Florida had not been past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017 until it tore through the 2025 Big Dance and cut 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 Tournament in his second season. Then came 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 just turned 40 in July, pulled up a chair at a table with the game’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, but the Gators won’t be short on continuity as they mount their national title defense. With star forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon next to a top-flight tandem of centers in Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten, Florida will be a force again in 2025-26 and is ranked No. 6 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 early rankings.
It would be no surprise if the Gators land near the top of the preseason AP poll. With Golden on the sidelines and an enticing crop of perimeter talent arriving via the portal to complement arguably the nation’s top frontcourt, Florida has a legitimate chance to follow up UConn’s back-to-back titles with consecutive championships of its own.
After all, it’s been done at Florida before. Prior to the Huskies in 2023 and 2024, Florida was the sport’s last back-to-back champion in 2006 and 2007. With the offseason player movement cycle wrapped up and the 2025-26 season creeping closer, we’re taking a closer look at the rosters of college basketball’s top contenders. Here’s the breakdown on the reigning national champions.
The 2025 Summer Shootaround rolls on with Matt Norlander talking to Jim Root and Ky of @threemanweave8462 about the national champion Florida Gators. Will the Gators go back-to-back, or will they fall short of expectations?
Projected starting lineup
1. Xaivian Lee | 6-4 | 180 | Sr.
Lee was just a role player as a freshman on Princeton’s Sweet 16 squad in 2023 before developing into a two-time all-Ivy League performer. After running the show for the Tigers, Lee (+6500 to win the Wooden Award at FanDuel) will likely share ball-handling duties with Boogie Fland. He shines when shooting off the dribble, much like Walter Clayton Jr. did for Florida last season. As such, he should be a natural fit in Golden’s system, though it would obviously be outlandish to expect him to fully replace Clayton’s production.
2. Boogie Fland | 6-3 | 180 | So.
The former five-star prospect played just 21 games as a freshman for Arkansas last season amid a thumb injury that required midseason surgery. But his offensive upside as a facilitator (5.1 assists per game) and shooter (36.8% from 3=point range before his injury) were amply clear. Like Lee, Fland (+5000 to win the Wooden Award at FanDuel) is unafraid to let it fly off the dribble, but he needs to improve at finishing through contact in the paint.
3. Thomas Haugh | 6-9 | 215 | Jr.
Golden has made no secret of the fact that Haugh (+10000 to win the Wooden Award at FanDuel) will play significantly more at the 3 in 2025-26 after he was deployed as a super-sub four during a breakout sophomore season. He’s a voracious rebounder, versatile defender and is self-aware offensively. Haugh thrives at the rim as a relentless downhill driver in transition and as a cutter/roller. But if you give him space, he can drill 3-pointers. A strong junior season will get him serious NBA Draft looks.
4. Alex Condon | 6-11 | 230 | Jr.
Condon is back for more after flirting with the NBA Draft following an all-SEC sophomore season. The versatile Australian big (+10000 to win the Wooden Award at FanDuel) runs the floor like a deer but also has 3-point shooting and traditional post-ups in his bag. Defensively, he’s got the right combination of size and mobility to protect the paint and hold his own on the perimeter.
5. Rueben Chinyelu | 6-10 | 265 | Jr.
Chinyelu was a savvy 2024 portal pickup for Florida, which needed his size last season after a devastating injury to Micah Handlogten in the 2024 SEC Tournament. While the ex-Washington State big man isn’t overwhelmingly skilled, his rare combination of size, athleticism and motor makes him a perfect fit for a team that runs in transition and crushes opponents on the glass.
Off the bench
Micah Handlogten | 7-1 | 265 | Sr.
Handlogten could have taken a medical redshirt last season after a gruesome leg injury in the 2024 SEC Tournament. But the 7-footer returned to play a valuable bench role over the stretch run. He is yet another great rebounder and interior finisher and will contribute to Florida’s effort to physically 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 attempts per game at Ohio last season. He’s the sort of low-usage, spot-up shooting threat who could fill a version of the role that Will Richard played last season.
CJ Ingram | 6-6 | 202 | Fr.
Ingram shot up the recruiting rankings as a senior to finish the 2025 recruiting cycle ranked No. 19 in the class by 247Sports. He was also a high school football player and brings physicality to the wing. Given that he’s a late bloomer who turns 18 on Aug. 12, his offensive contributions are likely to be limited as a freshman.
Urban Klavzar | 6-1 | 195 | Jr.
Klavzar was a summer commitment last season who didn’t get cleared by the NCAA until after the season started. But he nonetheless found a niche as a 20-year old newcomer, logging 10 minutes per game in 26 appearances. He’s a 3-point threat who possesses some vintage European craftiness as a reserve guard.
Isaiah Brown | 6-4 | 210 | So.
Brown never quite cracked the rotation as a freshman for a team that stayed remarkably healthy. As he competes for minutes this year, he’ll do so alongside his brother, A.J. Brown.
Alex Lloyd | 6-3 | 178 | Fr.
Lloyd was the No. 41 prospect in the class and comes with lots of offensive potential. Earning an immediate role won’t be easy, but there is clearly upside here with an in-state prospect who was a late riser in the class.
Filling out the roster
The Gators have an embarrassment of riches in the frontcourt. Rioux gained quality game experience for Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup over the summer. Meanwhile, Mikic played a key role for Serbia in the U20 Euro Championship. Kovatchev adds guard depth after missing all but four games due to injury at Sacramento State last season. He was 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 Tournament (via Fanduel): +1700
The fully intact return of Florida’s elite frontcourt gives the Gators an incredibly high floor as they mount their national-title defense. There isn’t a team in college basketball that boasts the same combination of size, athleticism and rebounding tenacity. If there’s a question for the Gators to answer, it’s at guard.
Fland and Lee were each top-30 transfers, but they have massive shoes to fill. Clayton, Martin and Richard were proficient outside shooters and good at the rim last season. Finishing in the lane was a weakness in Fland’s game at Arkansas, and it’s not a strength for Lee, either. Golden’s desire to play Haugh at small forward alongside Condon and Chinyelu will also be a fascinating experiment.
A bad outcome of going with a big lineup would be a reduction in floor-spacing that combines with poor finishing chops from the guards to create offensive regression. But even in that scenario, Florida would still be great at defense and rebounding. The positive alternative outcome is that the Gators physically dominate opponents while also benefiting from having two facilitators on their way to another Final Four.
