Coming into the 2025-26 season as the defending national champions, Florida men’s basketball has been tested early. The Gators (11-5) have already passed their loss total from last season (4) with 15 games left in the regular season.
Florida's record should not come as a surprise, considering it took on one of its toughest nonconference schedules since the 2017-18 season. The Gators faced eight KenPom Top-100 opponents — measured by adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency — headlined by matchups against three of the top six teams in the latest AP Poll: Arizona, Duke and UConn.
“This team is capable of getting to where we were last year,” said junior forward Thomas Haugh. “We played some of the best teams in the nation and sticking right there, so we know we’re able to, and we just gotta put some things together.”
Through 16 games, Florida’s frontcourt emerged as one of the best in the nation, while the inconsistent guard play and shooting combined with a lack of production from the bench has held the Gators back.
Dominant frontcourt
Florida saw four of its frontcourt players return, meaning its frontcourt now leads the team in seniority — a contrast from last season. While last year's backcourt senior trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin were at the helm, this year’s team is reliant on frontcourt pieces Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Micah Handlogten and Haugh.
Building off last year’s experience, these four created one of the strongest frontcourts in the nation this season, ranking No. 1 in rebound margin, offensive boards per game and rebounds per game.
“It’s how we’re built,” said head coach Todd Golden. “The more that we accept that and take pride in kind of being the ugly, gritty, physical team, I think we will continue to see good results.”
At the forefront of Florida’s dominance on the glass is Chinyelu. After starting all 40 of Florida's games last season, the junior center returned to Florida after testing the NBA pre-draft process for a brief period.
So far this season, he leads the team with 10.6 rebounds per game, tying him at the No. 15 spot nationally. His 21 rebounds against Merrimack on Nov. 21 were the most recorded by a Gator in the shot-clock era.The 6-foot-10 center is on track to be the first Gator in 50 years to finish the season averaging double-digit rebounds.
Florida’s frontcourt has also found success because of Golden’s decision to move Haugh from power forward to small forward heading into this season. As a result, instead of having Haugh (6 feet, 9 inches) and Condon (6 feet, 11 inches) compete for time on the court, the two get to play with each other, adding to the Gators’ height advantage.
With this move, Haugh’s productivity has improved drastically. The Pennsylvania native went from Florida’s first option off the bench to its leading scorer with 17.2 points per game, a 7.4 points per outing increase from last season.
He is averaging 20.6 points per game against ranked opponents. In Florida’s victory over No. 18 Georgia on Tuesday, Haugh recorded a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double.
“He’s turned himself into one of the better players in America,” Golden said. “It’s a testament to his work, his belief, his coachability. He’s incredibly coachable. … He’s an incredible leader by example, and he is what a Gator is.”
Condon came into the season as Florida’s first AP preseason All-American since Joakim Noah received the honor ahead of the 2006-07 campaign.
So far, the Aussie has shown both highs and lows. During Florida's loss to Arizona, he reached the foul limit and had six turnovers. However, in Florida’s victory against Georgia, he logged 21 points and eight rebounds. Overall, he’s averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and a team-high 3.5 assists per outing.
Off the bench, Handlogten contributes to Florida’s dominance on the glass, with 6.6 rebounds a game. At 7 feet, 1 inch, his size has brought depth to Florida’s frontcourt.
As the season goes on, Florida will continue to look at its frontcourt to lead the way.
Inconsistent guard play and shooting
Florida had one of the most elite backcourts in the nation last season. With three star players getting drafted to the NBA, the Gators filled the void through the transfer portal, bringing in sophomore Boogie Fland from Arkansas and senior Xaivian Lee from Princeton.
Fland, a former McDonald’s All-American, came into the program after a year filled with injuries for the Razorbacks. Still, he finished the campaign with 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game.
This season, he’s struggled to provide the same offensive threat. His 3-point percentage has fallen from 34% to 22%, and he is averaging 11.6 points a game. However, the Bronx native is coming off his best performance with Florida, recording 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting against No. 21 Tennessee on Saturday.
Lee came to Florida after earning back-to-back unanimous First-Team All-Ivy League honors at Princeton. During the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged 16.9 points per game on 43.9% shooting from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc. This season, his numbers have dropped to 11.6 points per outing, logging 36% shooting, including 26.5% from 3-point range.
The Toronto native has shown glimpses of his potential recently, with a season-high 24 points against George Washington on Dec. 13.
“I just think I’m a little more comfortable out there,” Lee said after the game. “I feel like I'm connecting better with my teammates and we’re all playing with a little more chemistry.”
Fland and Lee’s inconsistencies have also played a significant role in Florida’s struggles from 3-point range.
Last season, the Gators shot an overall 35.5% from deep, placing them No. 6 in the Southeastern Conference. This season, Florida is shooting 27.9% from 3, putting them last in the SEC.
“We’d like that number to go up a little bit, obviously," Lee said. “We all know we can shoot … I’m confident that we got a lot of guys who make shots on the team, and it’s going to start going in.”
Limited bench production
Last season, Florida’s bench was filled with depth and offensive talent. The two main substitutes were Denzel Aberdeen and Haugh.
Aberdeen, who transferred to Kentucky after last season, provided 7.7 points per game on 41.8% shooting during his 39 appearances throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Haugh led the bench in minutes (24.5) and points (9.8) per game last season. He came to life in Florida’s run in March Madness. He logged 20 points and 11 rebounds against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. His back-to-back 3-pointers ignited Florida to come back from down nine with 3:14 left.
Overall, Florida’s bench had five players who averaged about 10 minutes a game last season. This year, the Gators have three players who can say the same.
Urban Klavzar leads UF’s bench with 9.2 points per game on 36% shooting from beyond the arc. He recorded a season-high 20 points, going 4-for-7 from 3-point range against TCU. However, in Florida’s games against No. 4 Duke and No. 5 UConn, the junior guard had a combined 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting in 44 minutes of action.
While Handlogten brings a lift off the bench for rebounding, he’s struggled offensively. After starting the season with back-to-back doubles-doubles against Arizona and North Florida, the senior center’s productivity has decreased, reaching double-digit points only once following his early-season success.
Isaiah Brown is Golden’s last man in the rotation, with 4.1 points per game. He has yet to hit double figures in scoring this season and has a 22.2% 3-point percentage. However, the sophomore guard brings energy to the team through his defense.
“Being a consistent defender has been my main priority right now,” Brown said. “Being a versatile defender is kind of what I’m embarking my role on right now.”
While Golden has yet to expand his rotation, the options are limited for a team averaging 20.5 points off the bench, ranking them No. 265 of 361 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams. The Gators will need more production from their bench, especially if starters come down with injuries throughout conference play.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the spring 2026 men's basketball beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams
