What’s next: Which Florida basketball players will take on larger roles next season?

With the 2025-26 season at an end, Florida men’s basketball faces an offseason filled with uncertainty over who will return.

The team could see up to five players from its eight-man rotation leave the program. Seniors Xaivian Lee and Micah Handlogten have no years left of eligibility, and juniors Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are expected to declare for the NBA Draft this summer.

Though the Gators expect to bring in new talent through the transfer portal, which opens April 7, they will also see several key returning faces. Here’s a list of players on this year’s roster who are expected to take on a larger role next season.

Boogie Fland

On March 26, Boogie Fland, the Gators' starting point guard, announced he would stay with Florida for another season.

A former McDonald’s All-American, Fland transferred from Arkansas to Florida after briefly declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft.

As a Razorback, his success was limited after he sustained an ulnar collateral ligament injury in his right thumb while playing against Florida. The Bronx, New York, native initially tried to play through the injury. However, after a poor outing against Missouri, he opted for surgery.

Fland remained sidelined for about two months, making his return for the Razorbacks' run in the NCAA Tournament. Though his team made it to the Sweet 16, Fland’s role was limited as he came off the bench.

On April 22, 2025, Fland entered the transfer portal, and about a month later, he announced he’d be joining the Gators. However, injuries continued to plague the sophomore guard.

He underwent a sports hernia surgery that kept him out of the second half of summer workouts with the team. He was cleared to participate in basketball-related activities in September 2025 as the Gators prepared for the 2025-26 season.

Fland’s time away from the court took its toll in Florida’s season opener against then-No. 13 Arizona on Nov. 3, 2025. He logged 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting and missed an uncontested corner 3 that would have tied the game. Instead, his miss led to a win for the Wildcats.

Shooting from beyond the arc remained a problem for Fland for much of the season, although that was one of his strengths during his time in Arkansas.

However, Fland consistently made an impact for Florida on defense.

Fland finished the season leading the Gators with 1.7 steals per game. Against Alabama on Feb. 1, he tied a single-game program record with eight steals, matching Clifford Lett's record set against Georgia in 1989.

“It gave us some juice,” Fland said after the Alabama game. “Coming out with that effort. It was definitely a team effort, and I could not have done it without these guys.”

Toward the end of conference action, Fland found his stroke on offense.

He recorded double-digit points in the last five games of Florida’s regular season, including a 22-point outing against Texas on Feb. 25, where he shot 7 of 10 from the field. During that span, he made at least one 3-pointer in each game.

In Florida's dominant win over Prairie View A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Fland recorded a team-high 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including two 3-pointers.

Fland finished his sophomore year averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Expect him to be a leader in UF’s frontcourt throughout the 2026-27 season. 

Urban Klavžar

After a first season filled with eligibility issues, inconsistent shooting and limited time on the court, Urban Klavžar turned things around in year two.

The junior guard was Florida’s first option off the bench, consistently providing a spark with his 3-point shooting.

Klavžar finished the season averaging 9.6 points per game on a rotation-best 40.6% shooting from beyond the arc. The Slovenian was named 2026 SEC Sixth-Man of the Year, becoming the first Gator to receive this honor since Canyon Barry in 2017.

"Last year, that was a big part of delaying his success, not knowing when he was going to be eligible, having to try to work him into the rotation after the season already started,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “We thought he would make a big jump, and he certainly has. Hard to argue what guard has been better off the bench in SEC play.”

His best scoring effort of the season came in Florida's 84-80 loss against Texas Christian in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego. He logged 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, going 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.

In the monthlong period beginning Jan. 6, he recorded double-digit points in eight of the nine games he played. On Feb. 14 against Kentucky, he logged his highest-scoring effort of conference play with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including five 3-pointers.

“He’s really getting comfortable, becoming a really good player,” Golden said after Klavžar’s 18-point performance against Providence on Nov. 28, 2025. “He’s making really good plays. I think he’s just coming into his own, and he’s getting comfortable.”

Klavžar finished the year making at least one 3-pointer in 24 of the last 25 games of the season.

Following Klavžar’s success, he’s positioned to fill one of the starting roles in Florida’s backcourt next season, particularly as a shooting guard, using his off-ball movement to get open looks from beyond the arc.

Isaiah Brown

After being overshadowed in his first year at UF by the elite guard play of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard, Isaiah Brown’s sophomore year provided the opportunity for more time on the court.

However, during training camp, his role in Golden’s eight-man rotation was far from certain. Facing competition from CJ Ingram, Alex Lloyd and AJ Brown, the Orlando native had to fight for the last spot off the bench.

To start the season, Isaiah saw inconsistent time, but once conference play started, he turned things around.

Against Vanderbilt on Jan. 17, the sophomore guard dropped a career-high 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting, marking his first career double-digit scoring effort on his 20th birthday. He helped the Gators take down the then-No. 10 Commodores 98-94 in Nashville, Tennessee.

“An amazing birthday present,” Isaiah said postgame. “That was on my mind, how to bring that win home.”

He had three more games with double-digit points, including back-to-back 12-point outings against Texas A&M on Feb. 7 and Georgia just a few days later.

Isaiah finished the season with an average of 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, showcasing his ability to play on the perimeter and finish at the rim.

After showing flashes throughout the season, expect Isaiah to take on a sixth-man role, depending on Florida’s activity in the transfer portal.

AJ Brown

Isaiah Brown's older brother, AJ, transferred from Ohio University, where his 2024-25 season ended abruptly after he tore his labrum.

AJ was cleared days before fall camp started. Still, the Florida coaching staff decided to grant AJ a medical redshirt, preserving another year of eligibility for the Orlando native.

In his last season with Ohio, AJ averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc. He had two 22-point performances to tie his season-high against Marshall and Toledo.

In his freshman campaign with Ohio, AJ played the Gators in Tampa, logging a team-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, despite the Bobcats falling 82-48.

Spending this past season on the sideline, AJ enters the 2026-27 campaign rejuvenated and a probable starter for Florida.

CJ Ingram

A Hawthorne native who grew up about 30 minutes from UF’s campus, CJ Ingram followed in his father's footsteps when he committed to Florida. His father, Cornelius, played football for the Gators from 2006 to 2008 as a tight end.

Before college, Ingram played basketball and football at Hawthorne High School. However, after three years of high school basketball at Hawthorne, Ingram decided to play his senior year at Montverde Academy, a private college-preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, that has produced talents like Cooper Flagg, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes.

His decision proved valuable, as he rose from a top-75 to a top-25 ranking (No. 21) in ESPN's 2025 Rankings.

At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Ingram’s background in football shows in his stature, but his offensive game lacked for Golden to include him in the rotation. However, he did play in Florida's season opener against Arizona on Nov. 3, 2025, hitting a 3-pointer on his first attempt.

Ingram finished the season seeing the court primarily in the last few minutes of lopsided contests, but he was given his chance on Florida’s Senior Day against Mississippi State on March 3.

With Thomas Haugh ruled out ahead of that game, Ingram moved up to Florida’s third option off the bench, and in his 13 minutes of action, he showcased his potential. The forward recorded his career-high of 8 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers cutting UF’s deficit to one with 8:35 left in the first half, starting a 9-0 run.

“We've got one of the best starting eights in the country, well, the best,” Ingram said after the game. “So, when you're playing against those guys every day, it's going to get you ready. It's going to make you better. Even when you don't feel like you are getting better, you are."

After learning from a distance, Ingram could be an important piece to Florida’s bench next season, taking on a similar role that Isaiah took on this season.

Alex Lloyd

The other member of Florida's 2025 freshman class was Alex Lloyd.

A 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard, Lloyd was the 37th-ranked prospect in ESPN's 2025 Rankings. The Miami native played high school basketball at Westminster Academy, where he averaged 21.9 points, four rebounds and two assists during his three years at the varsity level.

Lloyd spent the majority of his freshman season on the bench, seeing the court sparingly during garbage time.

"My mindset is just to come out and compete every time,” Lloyd said on Oct. 7, 2025. “Coming in as a freshman, you got high expectations, but at the same time you got to have a level of maturing.”

Lloyd finished the 2025-26 campaign averaging 1.2 points per game across his 17 appearances. He recorded a career-high 5 points twice against Dartmouth on Dec. 29, 2025, and South Carolina on Jan. 28.

While he had limited time off the bench, expect Lloyd to be a focal point in Florida’s player development this offseason, so he can be a member of the Gators’ rotation next season.

Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.

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