Back in Tampa: Gators Open Season Where Last One Ended
Doubled over in a locker that’s usually dedicated to hockey players, Rueben Chinyelu sat with his head in his hands, mourning the loss of Florida’s 73-72 upset to Iowa in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 22.
“I just wish that we kept going and I’m just so mad that I wasn’t able to help my teammates tonight,” Chinyelu said postgame. “This team means so much to me.”
The words were hardly understandable as the heartbroken 6-foot-10 junior wept over what most thought would be the final game of his collegiate career, a journey that wouldn’t write its final chapter in the beloved Gainesville, but rather the city of Tampa. A season of dominance had just ended in one of the most unexpected upsets in recent history. And for Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon, years of memories together seemingly had come to a screaming halt.
But after an offseason that began with uncertainty regarding the future of the Gators, the period before the Gators’ first game of the season quickly turned into an audible buzz over the most complete team in college basketball. Coach Todd Golden retained every starter except Xaivian Lee, replacing him with former Gator Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred after one season at Kentucky.
The Gators tested out the squad in two preseason exhibitions, falling to Baylor 82-76 and defeating Stetson 85-68.
Now the Gators are making the trip back to Benchmark International Arena Monday against Miami, this time hoping to turn a disastrous end into a beautiful beginning for the 2026-27 season opener.
“We got some stuff to prove and finish out in that arena,” Haugh said in June. “That’s going to be awesome.
As a team that led the country in rebounding and was a sure pick for a No. 1 seed in the tournament, retaining most of that same roster pinned Florida as the preseason No. 1 team in college basketball. Despite a second-round exit, the expectations for Florida are even higher than last season.
“I think so many guys also came back because going out that way wasn’t something that we want to have or reminisce about,” Chinyelu said.
Sean Kelley, the Voice of the Gators since 2022, witnessed the shocking defeat courtside, perplexed at how a team so strong could falter on the biggest stage. Kelley said the loss was even more crushing because Chinyelu, Condon and primarily Haugh were expected to make the move to the NBA.
Kelley was almost left speechless as to how the game ended and how the three players experienced a possible college sendoff.
“It wasn’t, ‘Hey we’ll go try this next time around.’ We didn’t know if there would be a next time around with this group,” Kelley said. “To watch them have to come to grips with that was very difficult.”
What transpired was a domino effect of returning players, starting with Boogie Fland. The rest followed, desperate for another chance at campus glory.
“After that loss it made even more sense to come back, it still hurts to this day,” said Urban Klavzar, the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year.
The Gators trained tirelessly in the offseason preparing for another chance at Florida’s fourth national championship. During the struggles of 6 a.m. conditioning workouts, Alex Condon said the team used the Iowa game for motivation to persevere.
Some players avoid the thought at all costs. After watching the game tape — and his scoreless, one-rebound performance — Chinyelu tries his best to move past the traumatizing game. Referring to the return to the same hardwood in Tampa, his response deflected from the memories of March.
“It’s a new season, it’s a beautiful season,” he said.
But the thought will still linger, taunting the Gators’ subconscious until they leave Tampa with a win, one that’ll have to be earned.
“Everything kind of aligned for us to go back there and we’re excited,” Golden said. “The opportunity was really good too, Miami is a really good program and Jai [Lucas] has done a really good job in a short period of time.”
The rival hurricanes are far from the typical opponent a powerhouse program chooses to open its season with. Led by head coach Jai Lucas, a former Gator, Miami is the No. 14 team in the country, headlined by the No. 7 transfer class ranking, according to 247 sports.
A roster featuring the size and length that stacks up against Florida will be the ultimate test as to where the Gators stand heading into the season. A revamped roster versus a retained roster, an intrastate battle and a competition of two program-altering head coaches.
“We lost in Tampa and we’re starting back in Tampa,” Fland said. “Let’s get a win.”
For Golden, the offseason approach stayed relatively the same. Kelley said he’s a coach unaffected by results.
“In his process, his approach, I’ve learned it doesn’t change,” Kelley said.
The process that drastically changed the prowess of Florida basketball brings a team loaded with confidence onto the national stage.
Through Golden’s efforts, a team that was left in utter distraught less than a year ago is prepared to return to the scene of defeat.
“If we’re going to rewrite this thing we may as well start here,” Kelley said.
Before the emotions of Chinyelu were brought to the public eye in March, Thomas Haugh walked off the court as a projected NBA lottery pick, but the promise of the NBA didn’t give the junior any comfort. He gripped the collar of his Florida jersey and pulled it over his face, confronting the reality that he might never get to wear the orange and blue again. Less than eight months later, Haugh and his teammates will open the 2026-27 season on the same floor, letting the memories of the past motivate the future.
“We have a lot of great support in Tampa,” Golden said. “It’s a great venue, it’s been good to us and we’re not going to let one poor performance dictate whether we play there again or not.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball
