Senior Assignment: How Alex Condon Can Improve with Gators
“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie … Oi, Oi, Oi.”
Alex Condon is returning to the University of Florida for the 2026-2027 season — the Florida men’s basketball team will have its All-SEC forward from Down Under back again.
Condon made sure his return wasn’t a quiet affair, posting a video on Instagram saying he’s coming back with “unfinished business.”
Condon’s choice takes on an extra meaning considering his recent history. After the 2024-2025 season, he entered the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He tested the waters, with many believing he would be a first-round pick, but he ultimately withdrew and returned to Florida. This time, though, he made his decision sooner, showing that he is ready to focus on improving.
After starting on a national championship team as a sophomore, the expectations for Condon’s junior year rose, but this past season showed his game needs refinement. If Florida wants to make a deeper run than it did this past season, development is what the team needs. Condon can’t just be back — he has to be better.
The next step for Condon will be practicing on his biggest issue — 3-point shooting.
He initially showed promise in improving his deep shot by going from 28.9% to 32.8% from his freshman to sophomore year. During this past season, though, his percentage dropped to 17%. Not only did it slow down Florida’s offense, but his inefficiency also made defenses not see him as a threat from behind the arc. With how competitive college basketball is today, contenders need power forwards who can stretch the entire floor.
He doesn’t need to become an excellent shooter, but he needs to establish himself as a potential scoring threat, which goes into another issue that Condon needs to improve on: his confidence.
Florida experienced multiple stretches last season in which Condon would hesitate with the ball and pass up open looks to teammates. During a seven-game midseason slide, he reached double-digit shot attempts only once, while having two games where he had only four shots.
He progressed out of his slump later in the season and only had one game where he didn’t have double-digit shot attempts. He looked more assertive and willing to take shots, but for Florida to improve, that version of Condon has to be consistent and a standard for the Gators.
Ball security is another concern that showed up throughout last season for the big man. Condon finished with 83 turnovers — the most on the team. His mistakes opened easy opportunities for opponents to score, so cleaning that up is essential for his development.
Two other areas, while less extensive, need attention as well, including shooting from the free-throw line and foul trouble.
He shot 126-for-194 (65%) at the charity stripe, which was the lowest among Florida’s starters. His practice during the offseason will seemingly consist of shooting and shooting and … shooting, given he needs to work from behind the arc and at the free-throw line.
Regarding his foul rate, Condon seemed to have trouble against more aggressive opposing front courts last season, racking up 94 fouls, the second most on the team. He could definitely improve his defensive footwork before next season, which should lift his draft stock as well.
But despite his struggles, Condon was a huge part of Florida’s sustained success as a returner from the national championship squad, averaging 15.1 points per game last season. This time around, he’ll continue to be an integral part of the future — and maybe even a larger one.
Category: College Basketball, Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball
