Alex Condon Bounces Back in a Big Way as No. 21 Florida Dominates No. 23 Alabama
Alex Condon didn’t need to light it up from deep to leave his mark on Florida’s statement win over Alabama. The junior forward, standing 6-foot-11 with a game that’s as versatile as it is powerful, reminded everyone why he was a key piece in Florida’s national title run last April - and why he could be again this March.
Before tipoff against the 23rd-ranked Crimson Tide, assistant coach Carlin Hartman delivered a simple but timely message to Condon: Don’t let your shooting define your game.
“If 3-point shots aren't falling, don't let it affect the rest of what you do,” Condon recalled. “That's what I focused on.”
And focus he did.
Condon played with the kind of confidence and freedom that’s been building all season, matching his season-high with 25 points in Florida’s 100-77 rout of Alabama at the O’Connell Center. It was his most productive scoring night since he dropped 25 against North Florida back in late November - and just two points shy of his career-best 27, which, fittingly, also came against Alabama last March.
For Condon, this performance was more than a scoring outburst - it was a bounce-back showcase. Just eight days earlier, in the same building, he was held to a season-low one point in a disappointing home loss to Auburn. But Condon didn’t let the slump linger.
“It’s been a learning experience for all of us because of our expectations early in the year,” head coach Todd Golden said. “Anytime something negative happens - a loss, a bad shooting night - that becomes the story.
So we talked to Alex: ‘You’ve been awesome all year. Don’t let one game shake your mindset.’”
That mindset shift was already starting to show earlier in the week. In Florida’s 95-47 blowout win at South Carolina, Condon flirted with a triple-double - 10 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists - and looked more like the all-around weapon Florida needs him to be.
Against Alabama, he took it to another level.
Condon went 11-of-15 from the field, scoring in the post, running the floor, and moving the ball with purpose. He added seven rebounds and six assists, with no turnovers - a clean, efficient, and complete performance on both ends. He also chipped in two blocks and two steals, rounding out a stat line that looked like something out of a video game.
“Today, he looked like a first-team All-American,” Golden said. “25, 7, six assists, no turnovers, two blocks, two steals - that’s a hell of a ballgame, man. He was aggressive, decisive, and played with great physicality.”
That blend of skill, size, and savvy is what had NBA scouts intrigued last spring. Condon was on the radar as a potential late first or early second-round pick after helping lead the Gators to a national title. But without a first-round guarantee, he opted to return to Gainesville for his junior year, signing a significant NIL deal through Florida Victorious.
The goal? Run it back and chase another championship.
But the path hasn’t been entirely smooth. NBA evaluators have wanted to see Condon stretch the floor more consistently, and so far, the results haven’t been there. He’s shooting just 13.6% from three (6-for-44), and in the Auburn loss, he struggled against double-teams, coughing up four turnovers.
Still, the past week has shown what happens when Condon leans into the parts of his game that make him special - vision, touch, toughness, and a high basketball IQ. In Florida’s two wins over South Carolina and Alabama, he’s posted a combined 14-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio, showing he can make the right play even when defenses collapse on him.
Florida, now 16-6 overall and 7-2 in SEC play, is hitting its stride. And if Condon continues to play with this kind of confidence and composure, the Gators are going to be a problem come March.
For his part, Condon is keeping it simple.
“I feel like just having fun,” he said. “We’re lucky to be out here playing basketball as college athletes.
I’m grateful for the opportunity. We’re in a fun time of our lives - just keep winning games.”
With performances like this, Florida’s big man isn’t just having fun - he’s reminding everyone why the Gators are once again a team to watch.