Florida basketball shoot around before March Madness matchup with Prairie View A&M
Florida basketball forward Thomas Haugh sinks a 3-pointer during UF’s open shootaround before its NCAA Tournament game on Friday, March 20 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
TAMPA − Florida basketball junior forward Alex Condon has enjoyed a decorated career that’s already included a national championship, an SEC Tournament championship and an SEC regular season title.
The 6-foot-11 Condon also has a chance to become an anomaly in college basketball − a four-year player who stays with one team.
For now, Condon said his focus is to take in every moment of UF’s March Madness run, which will continue when the No. 1 seed Florida Gators (27-7) face No. 9 seed Iowa (22-12) on Sunday, March 22, at Benchmark International Arena (7:10 p.m., TBS).
Condon (15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is in the midst of his best stretch of the 2025-26 season, with five 20-point scoring performances in his last nine games. He finished with 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks in UF’s 114-55 rout of Prairie View A&M to open the NCAA Tournament on March 20.
“I’m just in a really good space mentally right now,” Condon told The Sun. “I’m enjoying these guys off the court. It could be my last year here so, I’ve just got to take every day in my stride and just enjoy spending time with the fellas.”
Asked whether he intends to return to UF for his senior season or declare for the NBA Draft, Condon told The Sun: “It’s obviously a thought for next year. It’s probably around 50-50 right now. I don’t really know what I’m going to do.”
Condon said the current feedback he’s getting from scouts and NBA personnel executive is that he could end up being picked in the 20-30 range of the first round if he chose to come out at the end of this season.
“I have the self-belief to feel like I’m a lottery-type of player,” Condon said. “If I can get a really good March Madness run, which I feel like I’m going to do, individually, then I think the sky is the limit for me, like, keep breaking down a few spots after each game. Keep making highlight plays, keep making the right plays for my teammates as well, I think everything is going to work out.”
How Florida basketball forward Alex Condon bounced back from Auburn game
Condon struggled with expecations that came as a preseason All-American through the first three months of the season. A low point came on Jan. 24, when Condon held to just one point and had six turnovers in UF’s 76-67 upset loss to Auburn.
“It was a good wakeup call,” Condon said. “I didn’t play the way I wanted to, obviously. I think I just let the overall pressure the outside noise get to me a little bit.”
In UF’s halfcourt sets, Condon takes on some point-forward responsibilities, a role he embraces. It’s resulted in some high-turnover games and high-assist games as well. Condon has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (116-81) on the season.
“I just enjoy that side of basketball, the mental side of things,” Condon said. “I feel like I can read defenses pretty well as well so that just helps.”
There are factors that could convince Condon to stay as a senior, including Name, Image and Likeness compensation that wasn’t available to college athletes six years ago. Condon’s compensation package, according to sources close to the program, is in the $2-2.5 million range this season.
Last season, Condon’s March Madness run was hampered by a sprained ankle he suffered in the Sweet 16 against Maryland. He played through it the rest of the way and Florida has enough firepower with guards Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin to make run to a national title.
“Touch wood — no injuries in the tournament,” Condon said. “I’ve been pretty lucky this year with injuries, so yeah, I just have to keep doing my prehab, keep warming up the right way, and when I’m heathy, I feel like I’m a very dominant player, play the right way and yeah, I just really enjoy playing with this team.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
