By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Alex Condon will return to Florida for his junior season.

The Florida men’s basketball program’s roster for the 2025-26 season, as of today, is essentially complete: with one starting roster spot available for a development-focused player.

What started out as a slow transfer portal turned into a masterclass by Florida’s newly equipped coaching staff.

It’s readily apparent the Gators have the pieces in place to make a second run for a national championship under head coach Todd Golden, mirroring his predecessor Billy Donovan. As difficult of a feat as it is to accomplish, they are once again a serious contender coming off a National Championship.

As for replacing Walter Clayton Jr., Florida brought in a mid-major transfer, Princeton’s Xaivian Lee, giving the Gators a crafty and explosive guard who excels with the ball in his hands.

Lee has an impressive first step, with the speed to blow by his defender and the court vision to attempt a high-percentage look or find the open man when the defense collapses.

While some may question his ability to succeed at a similar rate in the nation’s toughest conference, Lee consistently dominated Power Four competition when given the opportunity, and he stood out in 2024 at the G League Combine. He proved that he can play and succeed against the country’s best.

Continuing to target the backcourt, Florida keyed in on Ohio University transfer AJ Brown, who will presumably fill a role similar to Will Richard’s: a lights-out shooter from long-range who provides impressive defense and the ability to battle on the boards in the low post.

Brown is projected to begin the season as Florida’s 6th man, followed by center Micah Handlogten, giving the Gators a polished, experienced scorer in the second unit.

Although Brown may not start from the jump in Gainesville, the Gators intend to spend the summer evaluating their rotation. It’s possible Thomas Haugh returns to a bench role, with Brown sliding into the three spot for the Gators.

Only time will tell how Brown fits into UF’s rotation, though it’s in my opinion an impressive addition, one which will benefit his younger brother, Isaiah Brown, too.

Speaking of Isaiah, anyone who is underestimating the Orlando native: it would not be a surprise to see Isaiah Brown play a notably increased role during his sophomore season.

He’s an impressive outside scorer and he’s physical, yet quick enough to defend one through three although he did not display his full potential last season. The coaching staff thinks highly of Isaiah Brown, and that extra regard and attention goes a long way.

Meanwhile, Florida prepared contingency in late April. The Gators’ coaching staff recruited and acquired one of the nation’s top freshmen during 2024-25.

You know, the one who pulled out of the 2025 NBA Draft and will return to college for one more year, but not at Arkansas.

As critical as retention was, it’s the additions that may put Florida firmly back in contention for a title, and not just via the transfer.

After retaining, reconstructing, and retooling, the Gators managed the previous two months as well as any program could hope for, and expectations will undoubtedly be enormous.

Florida should be a preseason top 10, if not a top five team, in the months ahead, and it’s because the Gators are coming off their third national championship in program history AND Florida dominated this spring.

The schedule will be daunting throughout the upcoming season. The non-conference slate should be more challenging than it was during the 2024-25 campaign, and Southeastern Conference play will consistently challenge each of the league’s 16 member schools.

If the Gators stay healthy they will handle the weight of expectation. Perhaps if they keep their underdog mentality from last season, Florida will contend for a second-straight national championship following Condon’s decision to return to Florida.