Golden on Rebuilding Roster: 'I Don't Think It's That Much Different'

Despite having to replace almost its entire guard rotation, the Gators anticipate having a competitive team next season.

Apr 12, 2025; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden gestures while speaking to the crowd during the National Championship celebration at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

After winning its third national championship, the Florida Gators went into the offseason on a high, but with a need to rebuild the roster after four departures at guard, head coach Todd Golden had to end the celebration quickly and begin rebuilding his team.

So far, Florida has found success in both the portal and high school ranks with two additions so far.

"This year, I don't think it's that much different," Golden expressed. "We've done a great job retaining our frontcourt. We'll see how Alex's pro prospects go over the next couple of weeks. But the backcourt is going to be new. Getting Xaivian was huge, Xaivian Lee from Princeton is a huge addition. He and Tommy Haugh were teammates back in prep school, so he has a really good understanding of how we operate and what we do." 

The first of two transfers was guard Lee, who transferred from Princeton. A season ago, Lee averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals over 30 games for the Tigers, helping fill the void left by Walter Clayton Jr. Not to mention, Lee used to be teammates with Gators’ forward Thomas Haugh in high school, which should bring instant chemistry for between the two as both are expected to be starters. 

The second target that Golden was able to bring to Florida was AJ Brown, a transfer guard from Ohio. Brown is the brother of rising sophomore Isaiah Brown. Brown, a rising junior, brings much-needed experience to the fold after averaging 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals over 29 games in 2024 for the Bobcats.

Florida also returns depth guard Urban Klavzar.

With Golden getting the aforementioned Lee and Brown, it helps the Gators who lose all their experienced guards in Clayton, Alijah Martin, Will Richard and Denzel Aberdeen. who transferred to Kentucky. 

From the ranks of high school, Golden also added C.J. Ingram and Alex Lloyd, both of whom could contribute to the Gators next season.

While the backcourt will be relatively new, the Gators are expected to have nearly the same frontcourt in Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten headlining the group. Condon and Chinyelu have both entered the NBA Draft but could return to Florida depending on their draft stocks.

Condon stands out as a borderline First Round pick but is not ruling out a return to Florida.

“I’ve got a good situation waiting for me at Florida,” Condon said, per Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney. “It has to be a good situation for me to stay [in draft] but feedback I’m getting from teams right now is positive, and I’m ready to stay in if I need to.”

The Gators should be very confident going forward, especially if Condon and Chinyelu do return, and national champions should be right back in the mix next season.