Florida Men’s Basketball Faces Major Offseason Questions
With Florida’s dreams of winning back-to-back championships crushed by a 73-72 Round of 32 loss to Iowa Sunday, coach Todd Golden is in full offseason mode.
Although Florida fell short of returning the Naismith Trophy to Gainesville, this offseason already carries clear similarities to the one that followed the 2025 national championship run.
Golden once again faces the challenge of rebuilding a roster that could lose key contributors to the NBA, while also balancing transfer portal additions and high school recruiting in an effort to keep Florida among college basketball’s elite.
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Although junior forward Thomas Haugh has one more year of eligibility, there is a very high chance he enters his name in the NBA draft. Haugh had a breakout season, leading the team with 17.1 points per game, while also adding 6.1 rebounds per game. Golden moved Haugh from the power forward to the perimeter, a move that allowed Haugh to showcase his ability to create offense from the 3-point line and attack downhill.
Haugh is considered a potential lottery pick on most NBA draft boards, landing in the 10-15 pick range. His 6-foot-9 frame mixed with his scoring ability from inside and out makes his game translate seamlessly into the NBA.
Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu’s future with the Gators raises far more question marks.
Before the Iowa loss, Condon said his decision on whether to enter the 2026 NBA Draft remains undecided, describing it as “probably around 50-50.” Condon is mocked as an early-to-late second-round pick, the same mock after his 2025 national championship campaign. With a devastating, unexpected end to this year’s national championship run, Condon could forgo his NBA dream for a revenge year.
Chinyelu is the most likely to return out of the three front court stars. The Nigerian center was once considered a late first-round pick during Florida’s dominant 12-game tear through the SEC. Chinyelu recorded a record-setting 19 double doubles this season, averaging 10.3 and 11.2 rebounds per game. Although he has a case for national defensive player of the year, Chinyelu’s dominance of the paint declined in the postseason. Most notably, Chinyelu was scoreless with one rebound in the Iowa loss Sunday.
Chinyelu could be a major addition to Florida’s 2026-27 roster, especially if he can develop an outside shot. One more year of college could greatly benefit his NBA draft stock just like it did for Haugh.
“I don’t know right now,” Chinyelu said. “Just focus on the present. We’ll see what the future has for me.”
Those three NBA decisions will directly shape how aggressively Golden approaches the transfer portal. If all three players leave for the draft, Florida would need multiple frontcourt additions to rebuild its interior depth. If only one departs, Golden’s offseason needs would stay guard focused.
Another wild card in Florida’s frontcourt rebuild is Micah Handlogten. Although he ran out of eligibility, there is a chance the NCAA grants him another year because he only played 16 games in 2025 after suffering a broken leg in the 2024 SEC Tournament.
“It’s something I’m not going to worry about right now. I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to just do my offseason workouts as if I don’t have any more years of eligibility,” Handlogten said. “Then if it comes back, and I’ve been doing all those offseason workouts, so I’ll be good coming back.”
Although Xaivian Lee is the only player in the backcourt without eligibility, anything can happen with the transfer portal. Urban Klavzar had the best season of his career, averaging 9.6 points while shooting over 40% from 3, earning SEC Sixth Man of the Year. Boogie Fland is a former five-star recruit who had serious first-round draft buzz in his freshman year at Arkansas before a hand injury. Klavzar and Fland both have the eligibility, but with NIL negotiations, returning to the same school is never a guarantee.
Recruiting Class
Florida has only one 2026 recruit with a signed letter of intent: 3-star center Jones Lay.
Lay is a 7-footer out of Moravian Prep. With Golden’s history of hardly playing freshmen, Lay is more of a development piece than an instant impact.
Transfer Additions
The transfer portal is Golden’s bread and butter, earning the nickname “Portal God Todd.” Florida stars like Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard, Zyon Pullin and Reuben Chinyelu were all recruited from another school. The portal opens officially on April 7, but some big names are already looking to find their next home.
Here are some names that Florida has on its radar:
Tyler Tanner
Tanner is a familiar face to Florida fans. Although he has not entered the portal, Sports illustrated reports that Tanner is testing the NBA/portal waters after a breakout season. If he forgoes the NBA draft, Tanner would immediately bring proven SEC production to Florida’s backcourt.
The sophomore guard emerged as one of the conference’s breakout players at Vanderbilt Commodores during the 2025–26 season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Tanner also delivered in high-pressure moments, scoring 20 points in Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament win over Florida and 27 points in a loss to Nebraska in the Round of 32. His scoring ability, ball handling and experience against top SEC competition would make him one of the most impactful additions available for Todd Golden this offseason.
Jackson Shelstead
Shelstead announced he is entering the transfer portal Tuesday, and will be one of the most sought after guards in the nation. The former Oregon Duck spent two seasons in Eugene and would offer immediate scoring and 3-point shooting. Shelstad averaged 15.6 points and 4.9 assists during the 2025–26 season, emerging as Oregon’s most reliable perimeter threats and primary shot creator. His perimeter shooting, pace in transition and ability to create offense off the dribble would make him a natural fit in Todd Golden’s system. Especially with Lee gone, Florida needs an experienced, score-first guard desperately.
KJ Lewis
Georgetown’s KJ Lewis entered the transfer portal for the second time Tuesday, searching for a third program with one year of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-4 guard was one of Georgetown’s most productive players before a season-ending ankle injury, earning All-Big East third-team honors after leading the Hoyas in both scoring and steals. Lewis averaged 14.9 points and 2.1 steals per game during the 2025–26 season. Lewis has flashes of Alijah Martin in him: a big, physical wing who can impact games on both ends of the floor. Before Georgetown, Lewis was a vital piece at Arizona as the Wildcats number one defensive option. If Fland, who is known for his on-ball defense, transfers out of Florida, Lewis is a more than qualified replacement.
Category: College Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball
