Alex Condon's Return to Florida Makes Gators a National Championship Contender

The Gators are getting its star back and hoping for more retention with its roster

Mar 3, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) does the gator chomp after the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

After shockingly bowing out in the Round of 32, Florida’s offseason is underway and Todd Golden is trying to make sure his team doesn’t experience the disappointment of this March again.

It’s biggest news of the spring was revealed on Wednesday when Alex Condon announced he would be returning for his senior season after averaging 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game this year.

He was thought of as a fringe first-round pick in June’s NBA Draft but opted to try and boost his stock and draft positioning with another strong season in Gainesville.

"It's not the result that we wanted at the end of the year," Condon said to ESPN about his decision to return and the frustration of losing to Iowa.

"I think we're a better team than that. So, [we] left a bit of unfinished business with the Gators. So, to go back to school and compete -- we know what it's like to win a national championship, and that's the No. 1 goal for me."

Florida already retained Boogie Fland for another year after getting the New York City guard as a transfer from Arkansas last offseason and reacquired Denzel Aberdeen after he was a key part of the Gators’ National Championship team before leaving for Kentucky.

Still, Aberdeen will need a waiver to be granted a fifth year of eligibility to play this season for Florida.

Yet the biggest decisions regarding the NBA Draft will come from Condon’s frontcourt teammates Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu.

Haugh, the leading scorer on the Gators, seems like a consensus first round pick after being named as a Third Team All-American while averaging 17.1 points per game.

Chinyelu, due to his limited offensive game, could benefit from a return to school for his senior season but was the country’s leader in rebounding this year at 11.2 boards per game.

"When the team succeeds, everyone succeeds off the court too," Condon continued to ESPN.

"I feel like it could really be the same for us individually. I want to be first-team All-SEC and in the talks for All-American. And I think the way that I closed out the season, if I'm able to be that consistent for a whole season, the sky's the limit for [my] draft stock."

After back-to-back seasons of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Florida is hoping for a strong return of its core and another chance to win a National Championship.