Where did Florida Gators Basketball Land in ESPN's Preseason Top 25?

The Florida Gators enter the 2025-26 season with a big target on their back after last year's national championship.

The Florida Gators are looking to defend its national championship from a year ago. / Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Having reloaded the roster this offseason through the portal and retained several key players from last year, the Florida Gators landed at No. 2 in ESPN’s final men’s preseason top 25 that was released Tuesday. 

Only Purdue ranked higher than the Gators.

“There could be some growing pains early, but this starting five is as talented as it gets,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote.

Starting with the Gators' starting five, newcomers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee are expected to command the starting backcourt positions, replacing the duo of Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr.

While the pair most likely will not match Clayton Jr.’s prolific scoring, they can minimize the loss of him with their playmaking abilities. Both Fland and Lee averaged north of 5.0 assists per game last season. 

Additionally, for Lee, it has been his playmaking that has stood out to his teammates and coaches since he arrived in Gainesville. 

“Honestly, one of his best talents is his ability to playmake both ways,” Gators head coach Todd Golden said. 

Boogie Fland headlines the Florida Gators new guard duo after his transfer from Arkansas. / UAA Communications

There is one other tweak to the starting lineup for the upcoming season. Stepping in for Will Richard among the first five on the court is going to be junior forward Thomas Haugh. It will be a different challenge for Haugh, having to guard smaller, quicker players.

However, his head coach believes his move to the wing will be beneficial for the team. 

“There's a lot of really positive tradeoffs for playing him in that spot,” Golden said. "Defensively, it just gives us incredible length and athleticism out on the floor, great rebounding, the ability to cover up a lot of mistakes, having a lot of those guys back there. Offensively, Tommy has proven the ability to be a good wing. He knows how to shake up and get a catch and shoot. He knows how to get downhill going right."

Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are Florida's lone returning starters, manning the frontcourt. Both players opted against starting their pro careers early to return to Gainesville for another year. 

With that being the case, it meant that the entire championship-winning frontcourt would be at Golden’s disposal for the upcoming season. The other player part of that group is Micah Handlogten, who will feature frequently off the bench. 

Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh is embracing his new role as a starter on the wing. / UAA Communications

Moreover, in contrast to last year's roster, the 2025-26 Gators will be defined by the frontcourt players. 

"My expectation and the rest of the staff’s expectation is for them to lead the way for the rest of the guys in terms of the work ethic and what the expectation is for practice every day,” Golden said of Haugh, Handlogten, Condon and Chinyelu. 

Others that will play a part off the bench are AJ Brown, Urban Klavzar, Isaiah Brown, CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd. 

Florida begins their title defense campaign with the Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 3 in the Hall of Fame Series at 7 p.m. with television coverage on TNT.

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