The future is now in Gainesville for the Florida basketball program, which is coming off its third national championship campaign and appears to be reloaded for another title run next season.
However, the transition from last year’s squad to the current roster was anything but smooth as Todd Golden saw a handful of his contributors leave for the NBA draft as their collegiate eligibility expired — including star point guard Walter Clayton Jr. There was also a window when concerns arose that the Gators could lose two more starters to the professional ranks, but fortunately, both Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon decided to return to school.
A successful offseason helped bridge that gap with the addition of two of the more highly heralded players available in the transfer portal — Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland — as well as the arrival of a couple of key true freshmen in CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd.
Now that the rosters are ostensibly set for the 2025-26 campaign, CBS Sports writer Isaac Trotter ranked all 16 SEC basketball teams by tiers, placing the Orange and Blue in the top tier that includes the title contenders. Here is what he had to offer on the topic.
Why Florida basketball is a championship contender
“It’s going to look a little different in Gainesville, but the talent for the reigning national champions is unquestionable. Todd Golden has six guys who are on NBA radars. Very few other programs can say that. Florida landed two dynamic creators in Lee and Fland, who can go create a bucket out of nothing,” Trotter begins.
“It should murder teams on the offensive glass when it rocks with its jumbo lineup, and it has the lineup flexibility to adjust to more traditional three-guard lineups if the matchup calls for it. Perimeter defense will be a question early without the brilliant Alijah Martin, but Florida’s rim defense should be outstanding thanks to the return of the deepest and stiffest frontcourt in college basketball. Haugh, Condon, Chinyelu and Handlogten? Whew.”
Florida basketball’s projected starting lineup
- G Xaivian Lee (transfer from Princeton
- G Boogie Fland (transfer from Arkansas)
- F Thomas Haugh
- F Alex Condon*
- C Rueben Chinyelu*
Returning starters indicated by *
Florida basketball’s projected bench depth
- C Micah Handlogten
- G/F CJ Ingram
- G Urban Klavzar
- G AJ Brown
- G Isaiah Brown
- G Alex Lloyd
CBS Sports’ SEC basketball tiers
- Tier 1 – Title contenders: Pretty cut and dry. I think these teams have the upside to win the title. Not just make the second weekend. Not just win three in a row because of a nice draw. Six straight, do-or-die wins.
- Tier 2 – Top-25 caliber club: These teams have accrued plenty of talent and should be safely in the NCAA Tournament field today, but they have a few flaws that could keep them out of the top tier.
- Tier 3 – Tournament team: These teams have built good rosters and could flirt with top-25 status, but let’s be honest: they aren’t serious title threats.
- Tier 4 – Bubblicious: A Big Dance appearance is in the range of potential outcomes, but the NIT, the Crown (or worse) looms if things fizzle.
- Tier 5 – The basement: These teams have a slim chance of making the Big Dance unless something drastically clicks or they make a late splash in recruiting.
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