Florida basketball enters the season with the kind of buzz that doesn’t leave much room for modesty. The Gators are set to open the year in a top-25 matchup against rival Miami, and they do it where last season’s run ended far earlier than expected. Even after falling short of a national title defense and losing to Iowa in the Round of 32, the bar around UF has somehow climbed even higher.
That starts with Thomas Haugh, who looks positioned for a monster year. He was viewed as a potential lottery pick last season and earned unanimous All-American honors, and the preseason praise has only kept coming with SEC Preseason Player of the Year and preseason All-American recognition.
Haugh averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season, then picked right back up in exhibition play with 19 points against Baylor and 14 in the win over Stetson. If those kinds of numbers hold, the awards should follow - and so should a big season for Florida.
Alex Condon fits right into that same conversation. He has already been an all-conference performer in each season at Florida, and his finish to the 2025-26 campaign was as strong as any stretch on the roster.
Over his final 14 games, Condon played like one of the best players in the country, and KenPom gave him five MVPs during that run while he averaged 17.7 points per game. The expectation now is that he pushes that production into first-team All-Conference and All-American territory by season’s end.
Florida’s front line of expectations isn’t the only thing drawing attention, either. The Gators’ shooting from deep was a major issue last season, when they hit just 31% from 3-point range and finished second-to-last in the SEC in that category.
The numbers improved once conference play arrived, but the early-season inconsistency was real. That said, there are signs of a better year ahead.
Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar combined to go 0-for-15 from beyond the arc against Baylor, then bounced back by going 10-for-16 against Stetson.
The biggest-picture call is the simplest one: Florida should be right back at the top of the SEC. The Gators were the preseason favorite to win the conference again, and the case is built on continuity.
This is mostly the same group that won the regular-season title a year ago, and UF brings back the most experience from last season’s team. With that core intact, the projection goes even further - a sweep of the regular season and conference tournament, and the No. 1 overall seed to match.
And if all of that comes together, a return to the Final Four is the real benchmark. Florida is the preseason No. 1 team despite not surviving the first weekend of last year’s NCAA tournament, and on paper the roster checks just about every box.
Back-to-back years of experience, real continuity and three potential first-round NBA Draft picks make the Gators look loaded. The only question is whether that veteran group can carry the weight that comes with it.
Anything less than a Final Four would almost certainly feel like a letdown.
In Other News...
Florida Just Made Its Biggest Offensive Decision Before Georgia
Aaron Philo is back in the spotlight at the right time for Florida, and the Gators have made their call for the Georgia game. After Philo was sidelined by injury and Tramell Jones Jr. stepped in to lead a recent upset win, the quarterback situation had become one of the biggest questions hanging over the week. Now the job goes back to Philo, who helped fuel Floridas strong start to the season before the setback.
The timing matters because Georgia brings the kind of defense that can expose even small flaws in an offense. Florida is banking on Philos return to steady the group against the top-ranked unit on the schedule, while Jones surge has only added intrigue to the decision. For a rivalry game with plenty at stake, the Gators are choosing the quarterback they believe gives them the best chance to match Georgias pressure and keep the offense moving. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Heads Into Georgia With One Huge Question Still Unanswered
Floridas trip to Georgia comes with the usual rivalry pressure, but there is a bigger football question hanging over the Gators as they try to sort out a season that has gone from impressive to baffling and back again. Joel Klatt pointed to that week-to-week inconsistency, noting that Florida has paired significant wins with puzzling losses while still showing enough talent to make this one feel live.
The matchup also puts the spotlight on how Florida wants to play it, because the ability to run the ball and lean on a strong defensive line could go a long way toward keeping the game on script. Even so, the quarterback picture remains unsettled, with no starter announced and Tramell Jones and Aaron Philo both listed as questionable, leaving one of the teams most important decisions open as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Florida May Be Getting A Massive Boost Right Before Georgia
Floridas passing game has been searching for consistency while the receiver room works through injuries to Eric Singleton Jr. and Vernell Brown III, a hit that has shown up in the offenses overall effectiveness over the last few games. The two bring different traits to the field, and when both are available, the group gives the Gators more options in how they can attack downfield and on the perimeter.
As Georgia looms, there is at least some reason for optimism that the receiving corps could be getting closer to full strength at just the right time. If that trend holds, it could open up more of the game plan Florida has been unable to fully lean on lately, with the real question being how quickly those pieces can be worked back into rhythm before the rivalry game arrives. [Read more 🡒]