GAINESVILLE — Florida has accomplished it earlier than.
Coach Todd Golden’s Gators at the moment are attempting to do as soon as extra what solely two different applications have accomplished in the course of the previous 50 years: Repeat as nationwide champions in males’s basketball.
Since John Picket’s UCLA dynasty dominated the game, successful seven straight in the course of the ’60s and ’70s, solely Duke (1991-92), UF (2006-07) and UConn (2023-24) have gone back-to-back.
Golden’s squad opened observe Monday with a official shot to hitch these groups. However these Gators are a lot totally different than the group that repeated twenty years in the past with all 5 starters again from the 2006 winners.
“We’ve got guys who performed an enormous position on that workforce, and for them that’s the purpose,” Golden mentioned Monday. “On the identical time, we’ve some transfers and younger guys that we’re attempting to get there. So on a macro degree, our purpose is to win once more, however with this workforce particularly we’re not speaking rather a lot about repeating.
“We’re speaking about doing all the pieces we are able to to play deep into March.”
In place are the items to make one other deep postseason run. But the workforce’s energy has shifted inside a season after veteran guards Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard set the tone in the course of the title run.
UF returners Ruben Chinyelu, Alex Condon, Micah Handlogten and Thomas Haugh comprise considered one of nation’s most versatile and athletic frontcourts.
“[The] expectation is for them to paved the way for the remainder of the fellows by way of the work ethic and what the expectation is for observe on daily basis,” Golden mentioned.
The beginning backcourt now options newcomers Boogie Fland and Xaivan Lee, every gifted ballhandlers, passers and scorers. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Fland, a sophomore Arkansas switch, is “one of many higher on-ball defenders we’ve been round shortly,” based on Golden.
Going through Fland on daily basis, true freshman wing Alex Lloyd of Miami has been a shock throughout offseason exercises, though the nation’s No. 41 prospect within the 2025 class must beef up his lithe 6-foot-3 body.
“He’s performed with much more poise and simply calmness than we thought he would,” Golden mentioned.
Ohio switch AJ Brown and sophomore returner Isaiah Brown are two brothers from Orlando vying for taking part in time on the wing whereas returning level guard City Klavzar is a confirmed ballhandler and shooter off the bench. Freshman wing CJ Ingram of Hawthorne, on the outskirts of Gainesville, arrives because the nation’s No. 29 prospect in 2025 after enjoying final season at Montverde Academy.
Regardless of the Gators’ depth and expertise, Condon and Haugh are a pair of probably NBA first-round draft picks poised to paved the way.
Condon returned for his junior 12 months pushing to lift his inventory and ship one other nationwide title after exploring his NBA choices, which included particular person exercises with seven groups.
“I really feel like I’m a special participant this 12 months,” he mentioned.
Condon appears like one. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound Aussie has lower his physique fats 3 share factors to simply 5.5% and added not less than 5 kilos of muscle.
He additionally has added a extra constant exterior shot he’ll must excel on the subsequent degree.
“He’s flattening so many threes proper now,” Haugh mentioned. “It’s gonna be large for us to open up the ground rather a lot.”
Haugh’s transfer to small ahead at 6-foot-9, 215 kilos must also improve the Gators’ potential to assault and defend.
A season after he burst onto the nationwide scene as a sophomore sixth man, the previous 3-star prospect may change into a lottery decide due to his taking pictures vary, tenacity and flexibility.
“Defensively, it simply offers us unbelievable size and athleticism out on the ground, nice rebounding, the power to cowl up lots of errors,” Golden mentioned. “Offensively, Tommy is aware of shake up and get a catch and shoot. He is aware of get downhill going proper. Actually good basketball gamers type of determine it out, and he’s a type of guys.”
The Gators might be a type of groups within the combine till the season’s closing weekend. Having been there earlier than, Condon is conscious what it should take to get there once more.
“It’s going to take rather a lot for this workforce to go all the way in which, however I believe we’ve the capabilities to do it,” he mentioned. “We simply need to assault each recreation. All people goes to play their greatest once they play us so we’ve to be prepared.”
Edgar Thompson will be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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