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Thoughts on Gators Basketball Through Two Open Practices

The Florida Gators open the 2025-26 season in exactly a month.
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Boogie Fland headlines the Florida Gators new guard duo after his transfer from Arkansas.
Boogie Fland headlines the Florida Gators new guard duo after his transfer from Arkansas. | UAA Communications

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GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators men's basketball team opened up its fall practice slate ahead of the 2025-26 season this week with the media invited to cover a pair of practices.

Florida Gators on SI was in attendance for both practices, noting multiple players with standout performances across the two practices.

Boogie Fland Looks the Part

With Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin gone, the Gators are turning to a pair of transfers in Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland to take over the guard spots in the starting lineup.

Early returns on Fland, a transfer from Arkansas, look promising.

The rising sophomore has been active on both ends of the floor in the scrimmages with multiple steals leading to fastbreak opportunities and a strong ability to find open teammates. His multifacited play has garnered praise from his new teammates.

"In practice every day he’s a defensive menace," center Rueben Chinyelu said. "He gets three to four steals whenever we play pickup at the end of practice. Always pressure on the ball, nonstop activity, and to have him be such a gifted offensive player, you don’t really think about that but then you see play and it’s like ‘wow, this dude can play defense.' He gets steals, he’s in the lanes, he’s getting up into people’s bodies and forcing them to have a tough time handling the ball. It’s really good.”

Fland is expected to take over the primary ball-handler role from Clayton Jr. this season, although Florida has trust in Lee to have the role, as well. He has also shown an effective ability to use speed to create scoring opportunities, evidenced by multiple drives off screens during the scrimmages.

He is also looking to build off his 5.1 assists average from last season with the Razorbacks.

"Boogie is a playmaker first. He can take good shots when he has to, but he always creates shots for people, which is really good," Micah Handlogten said.

Haugh Comfortable on the Wing

Thomas Haugh emerged as a playmaker off the bench in last year's run to a national championship. Now, he will have a larger role, taking over the starting spot on the wing in place of the graduated Will Richard.

Haugh previously expressed confidence in the new role, and that was evident during the first two practices. The 6-foot-9 junior showed poise on both ends of the floor while continuing to shoot effectively both close to the basket and from 3-point territory.

"I think it's working out great, getting a lot more comfortable," Haugh said. "First practice is today (Monday), so we'll see how that goes. This summer went great for us. It was a good team summer. I was able to stay on the wing a little bit and work on that stuff and pick up. Whether it was in drills, I felt comfortable, I felt good."

Mostly playing at the four last season behind Alex Condon, occasionally starting when Condon was nursing an injury, Haugh averaged 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Looking to elevate his play, he has also taken on a leadership role for this season.

"Tommy is one of our best players," head coach Todd Golden said. "I think Tommy has the ability to go back and forth a little bit from playing on the wing or playing in the middle of the floor in the trail, and there's a lot of really positive tradeoffs for playing him in that spot."

CJ Ingram to Provide Valuable Depth

Although only a freshman, guard CJ Ingram has already begun working with Florida's starters and immediate backups rather than the reserves. Primarily playing behind Haugh with an ability to also play at the two, Ingram provides tremendous length off the bench at 6-foot-6.

One of two true freshmen on the team with guard Alex Lloyd, Ingram has garnered considerable praise for his effort in practice.

“I love their confidence,” Handlogten said. “I mean, you have CJ, who’s just a physically dominant player, and then Alex is so shifty, so quick, and can get to his shot in every way, shape or form, he really wants to.”

While his scoring is what made him a star at nearby Hawthorne and at Montverde, his rebounding and passing have been outstanding through the first two open practices.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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