With Fland in the fold, all Gator Nation eyes turn to Alex Condon

Alex Condon (21) dunks on UConn (Photo by Chris Spears)

Watching Todd Golden at work to restock his Florida roster is like a college basketball version of “The Property Brothers.” The house that Golden has built doesn't need gutting, just a makeover on the perimeter and some sprucing up with the big guys on the interior. The perimeter makeover was completed Tuesday when Boogie Fland announced he’s transferring to Florida from Arkansas. All that waits now is for Alex Condon to withdraw from the NBA Draft to give the Gators the best and most experienced foursome of big guys in the country.

Fland alone has the effect of elevating expectations for the Gators next season. The Athletic has UF ranked No. 2 in its earliest top 25 and CBS No. 6 while ESPN has the Gators at 18. If and when Condon elects to return to Florida for his junior season, the Gators could jump Houston for No. 1 at The Athletic. At the very worst they should be top four or five in every other poll.  

A former 5-star recruit out of Archbishop Stepanic High School in The Bronx, Fland was ranked the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2024 class. He chose Kentucky but when John Calipari left UK for the Arkansas job, Fland followed. In a season that he missed more than a third of the games due to a thumb injury that required surgery, Fland averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman. He put his name in the transfer portal and declared for the NBA Draft after Arkansas lost to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 but withdrew from the draft a week ago.

More scorer than shooter, Fland can play both the point and on the wing effectively. He is outstanding in transition and in up tempo offenses, which makes him a solid fit for Todd Golden’s schemes.

With the addition of Fland, Golden has replaced nearly all the firepower lost from Florida’s national championship team. Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard combined to average 46 points per game. Fland, Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee (16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists) and Ohio transfer AJ Brown (13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists) combined for 43.3.

Fland and Lee are point guards, but both are comfortable playing off the ball. Lee comes from the Princeton offense which involves all five players handling the ball in just about every offensive set. When he came back from the thumb injury at Arkansas, Fland spent more time on the wing while DJ Wagner played the point. Brown is a wing who can defend players three to four inches taller.

Firepower isn’t the only thing Fland, Lee and Brown are replacing. Clayton, Martin and Richard were four-year starters although all three began their collegiate careers someplace other than Florida. Fland will be a sophomore, Brown a redshirt junior and Lee a senior.

There is depth and young talent behind Fland, Lee and Brown. The Gators return shooter Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown, AJ Brown’s younger brother, plus Golden landed 4-star recruits CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd.  

With the perimeter issues resolved, next on the agenda is the return of Condon. Condon has until May 28 to withdraw from the draft. He says he will stay in but only with guarantees such as being selected in the first round where all the contracts come with guaranteed money. Second round contracts are rarely guaranteed and involve a much lower price tag.

As Condon told Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated, “I have a good thing waiting for me at Florida. It has to be a good situation for me to stay [in the draft] but feedback I’m getting from teams right now is positive and I’m ready to stay in if I need to.”

Scouts see plenty of upside for Condon. He’s mobile, handles the ball well enough to start the break on the dribble after a rebound, has 3-point range and can defend inside or out on the perimeter. Those are the kind of skills that equate to longevity in the league. Even with that skill set, NBA scouts know that Condon would be far better served with another year at Florida. Last season he averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He missed a few games with a high ankle sprain that he tweaked in a Sweet 16 win over Maryland. The ankle injury probably had something to do with some inconsistency in the run to the national championship.

Although scouts see the upside, there isn’t enough buzz for Condon to crack the first round of anyone’s mock draft. Most have him going somewhere in the 35-38 range in the second round. Sporting News and ESPN both have him going No. 38 to the San Antonio Spurs. The Athletic’s latest mock draft doesn’t have Condon going in either the first or second round.

So assume Condon will be returning to Florida. The Gators will have their entire 4-man rotation of bigs back – Condon (6-11, 232), Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260), Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255) and Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215). Chinyelu and Handlogten can both defend on the perimeter as well as protect the rim but neither one is an offensive threat outside six or seven feet from the basket. Condon and Haugh can stretch a defense with their outside shooting, defend on the perimeter and protect the rim and both can put the ball on the deck to start the fast break.

Florida’s size and mobility in the paint had plenty to do with the Gators running the table at the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Condon returning means the Gators can once again be the mismatch problem for which few teams have an answer.

Condon’s return will also free Golden to go with a big front line of Condon and either Chinyelu or Handlogten working the paint with Haugh playing the part of a hybrid small forward, capable of playing inside or outside. Haugh is quick enough to play on the perimeter plus he’s too tall and too skilled in the paint for the 6-4 to 6-6 guys who make up the No. 3 guy on most front lines.

Golden will have all summer to work out the various combinations that can make the Gators the most difficult team to match up with and defend next season. As he proved last season, Golden is a master at creating mismatches. He will have them on the perimeter whether it’s with Haugh playing outside or with Lee, Fland and AJ Brown making up his 3-man rotation on the perimeter.

New NCAA rules have expanded scholarship limits to 15. Currently, Golden has two more at his disposal. He could use them to bring in a couple more players, perhaps another big with experience, or he could save them for the recruiting class of 2026. Lee will graduate. Handlogten will also graduate but could appeal and win another year of eligibility. Condon, Haugh, Chinyelu and Fland could all leave for the NBA, so having two extra scholarships will give Golden options for his next roster rebuild. He could use some for experienced players from the portal as well as bringing in more young talent.

Here is what the roster for next season will look like with Condon’s return:

Big guys (6): Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255, SR); Alex Condon (6-11, 232, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260, JR); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 250, RFR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 305, RFR)

Perimeter guys (7): Xaivian Lee (6-4, 180, SR/TR); AJ Brown (6-4, 200, RJR/TR); Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, SO); Isaiah Brown (6-4, 200, SO); Boogie Fland (6-2, 175, SO/TR); Alex Lloyd (6-4, 180, FR); CJ Ingram (6-6, 190, FR)