As summer heats up, the defending NCAA Tournament champion Florida Gators are making all the right moves to defend their title.
Head coach Todd Golden has built an impressive offseason following the Gators’ championship win over Houston. Last week, Florida landed a major commitment as Boogie Fland announced he would be heading to Gainesville to play for Golden.
Now, the Gators are getting another boost: one of their top players from last season’s title team is coming back. On Tuesday, forward Alex Condon officially withdrew from the NBA Draft and announced his return to Florida.
Fland didn’t waste time reacting to the big news, sharing his excitement on Instagram
Condon played a key role for the Gators in the paint last season, averaging 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In the national championship game, he added 12 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes. He’s now set to return for his junior season.
Fland is no stranger to the SEC. He spent last season at Arkansas under John Calipari but was limited to just 21 games due to a right thumb injury. He returned in time for the NCAA Tournament and logged 24 minutes in the first-round win over Kansas. However, he played only nine minutes in Arkansas’ 85-83 overtime loss to Texas Tech.
In addition to Fland and Condon, Florida has added another big name: Xaivian Lee from Princeton. Lee will help bolster the Gators’ backcourt and brings high-level Ivy League experience.
The Gators did lose a few key contributors from last year’s squad. Denzel Aberdeen transferred to Kentucky, Sam Alexis moved to Indiana, and both Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin declared for the NBA Draft.
Despite those losses, Florida is setting its sights high. The Gators are aiming for their second championship repeat of the 21st century. Under Billy Donovan, Florida won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. Todd Golden and his revamped roster hope to follow that same blueprint.
