Some familiar faces are returning to Florida’s O’Connell Center, and this time, they have more collegiate experience under their belts.
Gators basketball was shrouded in uncertainty following the abrupt, earlier-than-expected end to the season in the second round of March Madness, but Florida unexpectedly evaded all major blows to its rotation.
With guard Xaivian Lee graduating and multiple Gators expected to test the waters of the NBA Draft, questions arose about whether Florida could rebuild a championship-caliber roster. Nonetheless, four out of five starters will make their return for the 2026-27 season, providing the Gators with a promising, experienced core and a high level of continuity.
On May 21, Rueben Chinyelu, who fans nickname “Big Freaky,” announced his return to Florida basketball for his senior year.
Chinyelu had participated in the NBA Combine for this year’s draft. The Nigerian center was projected to go No. 46 overall to the Orlando Magic, according to ESPN’s mock draft.
After rising junior Boogie Fland announced his return March 26, fans spent nearly two months eagerly waiting for Chinyelu’s announcement; when it came, the highly touted center’s return marked the final piece of Florida’s puzzle. Its frontcourt, the same one ranked first in the nation heading into last season, was solidified once again.
The 6-foot-10 center averaged 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in the 2025-26 season. In his sophomore year, he started all 40 games and averaged 6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
According to EvanMiya, Chinyelu ranks second among top projected rebounders (44.5%), just behind Arizona’s Tobe Awaka (44.6%). For Florida’s frontcourt, this translates to greater possessions and more scoring opportunities.
Chinyelu also made history this season as the fourth player at UF to record four straight double-doubles. This did not just increase his draft value; it made him a top-level threat for the Gators.
However, dramatic scoring leaps are not foreign to Florida.
Rising senior Alex Condon significantly improved his game since starting with the Gators in 2023, nearly doubling his points per game average. The forward averaged 15.1 points per contest in the 2025-26 season, a higher average than both his freshman (7.7) and sophomore (10.6) seasons.
This past season, the Aussie led the team in blocks (1.4) while ranking second on the team in minutes, points, rebounds and assists per game.
That said, the frontcourt trifecta is only made complete by forward Thomas Haugh.
Returning for his senior year, Haugh may just have the most impressive improvement. Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward more than quadrupled his average points per game in his freshman campaign.
Haugh finished this year with a points per game average of 17.1. His freshman year, he averaged just 3.9 through 36 games.
It was unclear how Florida’s Round 32 fall to Iowa would impact the All-American. Distraught and emotional after the loss and projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick, Haugh was expected to turn pro and leave his Florida career behind. But instead, he turned his attention from the league to winning another NCAA title.
Haugh recorded four double-doubles this year and was crucial to UF’s success. As the team’s leading scorer, he would have left a major hole to fill.
As essential members of Florida’s 2025 National Championship team, Chinyelu, Condon and Haugh will serve as frontcourt weapons, providing the team with the needed versatility and experience to make yet another deep postseason push.
In the backcourt, Denzel Aberdeen waits for approval on his fifth-year eligibility. The guard played for Florida his first three years of college before transferring to Kentucky, where he averaged over 30 minutes of playing time per game for the Wildcats.
This past season, the 6-foot-5 Orlando native led Kentucky in assists (3.4) and ranked second in points per game (13.5).
Aberdeen hopes to obtain permission from the NCAA to officially return to UF on the court, and if approved, he will elevate Florida’s program and stabilize its defensive roster.
Outside of Aberdeen, head coach Todd Golden, who recently shut down all rumors of a transition to the NBA this season, has acquired three other recruits, including Jones Lay, Artūras Butajevas and Domen Petrović.
Still, Fland and Urban Klavžar remain prominent players on the team.
Klavžar, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, will return as a senior for his final season. The sharp-shooting Slovenian has made a splash in his time at UF thus far, showing off his three-point shooting. Klavžar ended the season shooting an impressive 40.6% from behind the arc — a mark higher than any of UF’s starters.
As aforementioned, Fland will return to UF as a junior and remain a top ball-handling option for the Gators. After showing promise and capability in a consistent starting role last season, Fland remains a valuable asset in a team full of incoming seniors — and he still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Though the memory of a title run still plays through the Rowdy Reptiles’ heads, the best may still be yet to come. These star players have not just proven their worth statistically — they have given fans hope. Now that the stage is set for another championship push, the only thing to do is wait.
Contact Nicole Scura at nscura@alligator.org. Follow her on X @NicoleScuraa.
Nicole Scura is a third-year journalism student in her second semester at The Alligator. She is currently a sports enterprise reporter and previously served as a hockey reporter. In her free time, she enjoys figure skating, traveling and watching football (Go Bucs!).
