Will the Gator boys stay hot in 2025-26?
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf are split on Florida basketball’s chances to complete the second leg of a back-to-back championship run.
Todd Golden turned around the program in just three years, diligently working the transfer portal to assemble a championship-caliber roster. The departures of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard will hurt the chances of a repeat, but Golden went back to what he knows to give the Gators a strong chance.
The top four members of the 2024-25 frontcourt rotation — Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Micah Handlogten and Rueben Chinyelu — all return, and Golden brought in a pair of elite guards from the transfer portal — Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton).
Fland has All-SEC potential, and Lee was among the most coveted guards not from a Power Four program in the portal. Is that enough, though?
“Sure, there are some questions about depth — and whether Haugh can play full-time at the 3 — but the talent of this starting five has few peers nationally,” said Borzello, “and Golden has proved he has the chops to win big games.”
Medcalf offered that the talent is there to do what the 2006 and 2007 Florida teams did, but on-court chemistry was the X-factor that last season’s group possessed. Richard was the first transfer Golden brought in, Clayton was the superstar and Martin brought Final Four experience to the table. The unselfishness of all three permeated the team culture, bringing everyone together.
“Haugh, Fland and Lee will have to build that bond on the fly as Golden guides a starting five that will feature two point guards,” Medcalf said.
Lunardi, the resident bracketology expert at ESPN, is less bullish on the Gators. As an NCAA Tournament expert, Lunardi knows just how difficult it is to make back-to-back runs.
“Don’t bet on a repeat in Gainesville, Lunardi said. “Not because the Gators aren’t good enough but because winning 12 straight NCAA tournament games over two years is really, really hard. The fact that UConn did it in 2023 and 2024 makes the probability of back-to-back repeats less likely — not more. I still like Florida. A lot. But this is a case where you shouldn’t blame the messenger.”
While it’s improbable statistically, Lunardi still hedges his statement. Florida Gators fans ought to keep history in mind, though. It may seem like championship or bust, but there’s a long season ahead.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: ESPN experts split on whether Florida basketball can repeat
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
