Now for the tough part: Who goes and who comes back next season?

Will Alex Condon stay another year or go pro? (Photo by Chris Spears)

SAN ANTONIO – The celebrations that began at the Alamodome and wherever the Gator Nation calls home will last for days, perhaps even weeks. For Todd Golden, once he returns to Gainesville work will begin almost immediately to rebuild a roster that will lose three of what proved to be the best backcourt in the nation.

It was the end of the collegiate road for Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin Monday night when the Florida Gators eked out a 65-63 win over the Houston Cougars to claim the NCAA championship. All three have used up their eligibility so their next stops will be professional basketball. Clayton’s shotmaking and play under pressure has turned him into an NBA first rounder, perhaps going as early as the top 20. The comparisons to Steph Curry are legit, the difference being Steph never won an NCAA title. Walter did and that will carry some weight this summer when the NBA drafts.

Richard and Martin might go in the second round. Richard can go into shooter’s comas like he did in the first half against Houston, but he rebounds well and plays defense at an elite level. Martin’s calling card will be his defense. He can lock people down and can guard all three perimeter positions. He makes enough shots to merit a good long look.

The only member of the backcourt regulars who will be back is Denzell Aberdeen, who had an outstanding game off the bench against Houston, particularly on the defensive end late in the game when the Gators were finishing off their comeback from a 12-point second half deficit. The Gators will be his team to run next year and while he’s no Walter Clayton Jr. – is anyone? – he showed during the injury-bug stretch of the season that he is a quality player whether as a starter or coming off the bench. He is nearly 6-6, quicker than he looks, and a solid scorer whether from the outside or off the bounce.

Golden has players who can fit in nicely with Aberdeen, starting with Urban Klavzar, Kajus Kublickas and Isaiah Brown. Klavzar can be a lethal shooter while Kublickas ran the point nicely for the Lithuanian national team in last year’s FIBA 20-and-under tournament in Europe. Brown is a slasher with serious hops. If his outside shot really develops he could be a starter on the perimeter. They will be joined by freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram, both of whom can score but will need time to develop defensively to play at the level Golden expects.

Up front, the Gators could be loaded if everybody stays. Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu were the starters every game they were healthy. Both are outstanding defenders who need to polish up their offensive games. Condon is an erratic shooter from the outside but he has the inside touch to be a big scorer, but he needs to add strength and consistency to his offensive game. Condon is being projected as a late first to mid-second NBA pick. Chinyelu made great strides throughout the year. He needs to understand that his best offensive asset is the dunk but he does need to get a better handle on a short game from five feet on in. Defensively, Chinyelu can make tough plays and he is a clutch rebounder but gets called for too many cheap fouls. He seems likely to return.

Tommy Haugh has played himself into a possible first rounder. He has the outside shot, the hustle and the ability to defend three positions so he can be a real commodity for a team in search of that Swiss Army Knife who can plug and play multiple spots. If the Gators elect to go really big next season, Haugh could find himself playing the big guard or small forward. Haugh is thought to be a late first, early second rounder if he elects to go into the NBA Draft, but experts believe he would be best served to come back to UF and spend an entire year as a starter.

Unless Condon, Chinyelu and Haugh have some assurance they will be drafted in the first 20 picks, they need to return to UF for at least one more year.

When Micah Handlogten elected to burn his redshirt, it was just the insurance the Gators would need to win a national championship. At 7-1, he gave the Gators size, rebounding and defense off the bench. He threw his body into the fray without ever once fearing he would injure his leg again. Handlogten will almost certainly appeal to the NCAA for a waiver that will give him back a full season of eligibility. While there is no telling what the NCAA will do, figure the odds are relatively good that he will be granted the waiver and have two full seasons to play. Handlogten is an outstanding rebounder and defender who needs a good offseason to develop his offensive skill set. He is a dunker and good at tip-ins, but has no outside shot.

It may take some heart-to-heart conversations to convince Sam Alexis to return. He was a regular off the bench until he suffered a high ankle sprain against Vanderbilt. Since then he only saw a bit of mop-up duty in a win over Maryland in the West Regional. If Condon and/or Haugh go pro, then it would benefit Alexis to return but he might see things differently if Golden returns his 4-man rotation in the front court. Consider Alexis as a potential transfer, although he loves being a Gator. When he was at Chattanooga Alexis made the Southern Conference all-defensive team. He has offensive skills too and shooting range to the 3-point line.

Viktor Mikic took a redshirt as a true freshman as did preferred walk-on Olivier Rioux. Mikic is 6-10, Rioux 7-9. If either or both play next year chances are it will be limited minutes. Rioux is a project but you can’t teach tall. He knew he was a long term possibility so 2026-27 is the year to look for him to be a contributor. Mikic has skills but is he willing to wait his turn?

With the impending settlement between the House of Representatives and the NCAA, Golden could have three or four scholarships at his disposal. It’s late to go after high school kids although with coaching changes and Florida winning the national championship it’s entirely possible some highly regarded kids will become available.

Golden has proven very effective evaluating talent in the transfer portal. Assuming he returns all his players and doesn’t sign any more high school kids, it is not unreasonable to expect three from the portal – a point guard, a small forward in the 6-6 to 6-8 range and a big guy.

NEXT YEAR’S ROSTER AS OF APRIL 8, 2025

BIG GUYS (6): Micah Handlogten (7-1, 250, SR); Alex Condon (6-11, 230, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, JR); Alex Mikic (6-10, 240, RFR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 320, RFR)

PERIMETER (6): Denzell Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Kajus Kublickas (6-1, 175, JR); Urban Klavzar (6-2, 180, SO); Isaiah Brown (6-5, 200, SO); CJ Ingram (6-6, 200, FR); Alex Lloyd (6-4, 180, FR)