From draft decisions to recent additions and departures, the incoming Florida Gators men’s basketball team will appear dramatically different on paper.
Florida was shrouded in uncertainty following the conclusion of the season. Three pillars of the Gators’ championship-winning team were graduating, and five declared for the draft.
Senior guards Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard and frontcourt players Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon declared for the draft. Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen entered the transfer portal and committed to Kentucky.
Whether it was a desire to remain a college athlete or a determination to win back-to-back national championships, Condon and Chinyelu decided to stay in Gainesville for the 2025-26 season.
They will be joined by two new recruits to round out Florida’s projected starting lineup: Arkansas transfer and former five-star recruit sophomore guard Boogie Fland and Princeton transfer senior guard Xaivian Lee.
“I see it working really, really well,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said of UF’s new backcourt. “To have two guys that can play so well with the ball in their hands, they make plays for themselves but also for others really, really well.”
Florida’s newcomers and returning members have garnered praise from many national reporters. Despite differences in player mold, many expect the Gators to compete at a similar level as their 2024-25 team.
One player who’s received significant praise is Fland.
“If I'm being asked to describe Boogie Fland in a one-sentence statement, I think it's very, very, very good, willing passer, and then a strong, on-ball defender who I don't think gets enough credit for that,” said Anthony Kristensen, an Arkansas Razorbacks reporter and AP Poll voter. “I think at least from a ball-handling standpoint, [he’s] ready for the next level.”
Junior Urban Klavžar and sophomore Isaiah Brown are the two returners in the backcourt. The tandem saw a reasonably small share of minutes last season but impressed in the time they had, showing they’ll be important players in helping the backcourt gel.
As far as Fland and Lee’s ability to gel, Kristensen has confidence in Golden and the players.
“I think their skill sets complement each other more than they contradict,” he said. “I think it's very exciting, for sure.”
He said the addition of the pair will also create a versatile offense and spread out the scoring more than 2024-25 saw, making Florida “just as dangerous as it was last season.”
Shawn O’Neal, a senior editor for Lindy’s Sports Annuals, said he’s confident in Lee’s ability despite the player having to adapt from the Ivy League to the SEC.
“Players get better, they learn, they adjust to where they’re at,” O’Neal said. “Odds are he is a good basketball player, full stop.”
Experienced newcomers like Fland, Lee and incoming freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram will determine the fate of Florida’s backcourt, O’Neal said.
Jimmy Dykes, an ESPN and SEC Network sportscaster and former NCAA coach, praised Florida's position for the upcoming season. He gave credit to Golden for what he’s accomplished from a recruiting standpoint.
With Golden’s success in retaining players and recruiting new ones, Florida has “arguably the deepest, most talented frontcourt to begin the season in all of college basketball,” Dykes said.
Despite uncertainty in the backcourt, Dykes, alongside O’Neal and Kristensen, placed Florida high in his preseason rankings.
“Every team in the summer has question marks, and [Golden]’s got to get into season and play games, get knocked around a little bit, get exposed and then make corrections from there,” he said. “Preseason, they are a top-five team in the country and are in a terrific position to have another great year.”
It is still a long road to opening day on Nov. 3, but with the offseason shaping up similarly to last, fans are understandably optimistic.
The Gators will look for a repeat of the 2006 and 2007 seasons, where they achieved back-to-back national championships under coach Billy Donovan. If Florida becomes title winners in 2025-26, it would be the second team, in addition to UCLA, in NCAA history to record a pair of back-to-back championships.
“You've got a head coach that's not even in his 40s yet that’s won a national title,” Dykes said. “Todd Golden has got it going, and the Rowdy Reptiles have got a great product to cheer for coming again this winter.”
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.
