Sophomore forward Alex Condon played a major role in Florida winning its first national championship since the university went back-to-back during in 2006 and 2007. Now, Condon will look to repeat that feat after withdrawing his name from the 2025 NBA Draft.
Condon announced that decision Tuesday — a day before the deadline for college players with remaining eligibility to withdraw from the NBA Draft. He cited the desire to go back-to-back as a major reason he opted to return to Florida for his junior year, per ESPN.
“It’s a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back,” Condon said. “We’re not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. Get back to Gainesville, share in some hardship through hard work in the summer, and get used to playing with each other. Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that’s what makes a great team.”
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Condon, who is Australian, averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds with the Gators last season. Those figures ranked fourth and first on the team, respectively.
The 6-foot-11 forward ranked 41st on Yahoo Sports’ NBA Draft big board, making him a possible early second-round pick. Condon pushed himself to excel offensively during private workouts with NBA teams, and told ESPN he “learned a lot about” himself during the draft process.
Florida head coach Todd Golden echoed that sentiment Tuesday, and believes Condon “positioned himself nicely,” by coming back to Florida for another year.
Golden could be proven right. Condon should be in for a bigger role with the Gators with both Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin leaving for the 2025 NBA Draft. Clayton Jr. and Martin were the top two scorers on the Gators last season, so Condon could have more opportunities to excel on offense as a junior.
With Condon and Will Richard returning (and the addition of Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland), Florida should once again be ranked as one of the top teams in college basketball entering next season. While winning back-to-back national championships will be difficult, Florida should receive a nice boost with Condon back in the fold.
