UF coach Todd Golden enters his fifth season on the Gators sidelines with a record of 103-41 that includes a SEC regular-season championship, tournament crown and NCAA title.
Chris Harry's 2026-27 Preseason Primer
Monday, September 14, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In 2017-18, Villanova had three players on its roster that were core standouts from its NCAA championship team of two seasons before. That was rare. The Wildcats went on to win a second national title in three years, with Jalen Brunson (who you may have noticed was in the news earlier this year), along with Mikal Bridges and Phil Booth having heavy hands in the program raising the trophy again so soon.
Well, the Florida Gators won it all in 2025 and two seasons later have four players on their roster who were part of Coach Todd Golden's national-championship rotation – a trio of whom have All-Southeastern Conference honors on their respective resumes – plus another three who were on that remarkable squad, two of whom pitched in during key moments during that season. That's a lot of winning know-how in the building.
Which is why Florida is expected to start the 2026-27 college basketball campaign as the nation's No. 1 team when the preseason polls are announced next month.
In the interim, the Gators will open full-go fall practice on Sept. 21. That's one week away. They've been at it, of course, basically since last April, not long after the '25-26 season ended in heart-breaking fashion with a second-round NCAA upset loss – as a No. 1 seed, no less – to ninth-seeded Iowa.
Each year, in the run-up to preseason practice, we take stock in where the team stands after an offseason of watching individual workouts, practices and competitive pick-up games. The projected roles below, obviously are subject to change (Yes, I've had a few misses in this space over the years), given the events that occur over the course of a season.
Note: They've changed in just the last few weeks.
The excitement for '26-27 figures to be sky high. The expectations, also.
UF opens the season Nov. 2 against Miami in Tampa. That's just 49 days away.
Time to prime.
THE ALL AMERICAN – Thomas Haugh
It's not an oversell to suggest that Haugh is flirting with icon status in the stratosphere of – dare I say? – Tim Tebow. Unlike Tebow, who was not universally regarded as an elite pro prospect, Haugh was a projected NBA lottery pick -- he'd have been UF's first since Bradley Beal in 2012 -- when he chose to bypass the professional route and return to play his senior season in great part because of the disappointing way his junior season ended, but also because he loves the University of Florida. Imagine that concept in this NIL day and age. Haugh was not just a stalwart, but a star off the bench for the 2025 team that captured the NCAA crown his sophomore year. As a junior, the 6-foot-9, 215-pounder made the switch from forward to wing and was a first-team All-SEC performer after averaging a team-high 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. This season, Haugh again will start at the "3," but look for the majority of his minutes to be back at the "4," where his effort, length and savvy prove ever-present, as he shares front line duty with his fellow two All-America candidates (read on), and as the coaching staff looks to put their best players in their best positions to succeed for the team. That thinking could change if Haugh improves on the 32.6% he converted from the 3-point line in '25-26, as the team collectively must be better from distance than the 32.1% last season. That was the sixth-lowest mark in program history. When preseason All-America teams are released in the coming weeks, Haugh will be on all of them. Probably a first-teamer.
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM – Alex Condon
He's been one of the best forwards in the SEC the last three years. Over the last 15 games of '25-26, "Condo" was one of the best players in the country. The 6-11, 236-pound forward took his one-point, four-turnover performance in the Jan. 24 home loss against Auburn personally. During the season's second half, he averaged 16.5 points on 61% shooting to go with 6.9 rebounds per game, playing to his preseason All American accolades. The Gators want more of that Condon, along with fewer turnovers. Though he finished with 123 assists to 83 turnovers, Condon had eight games with at least four turnovers (and five with at least five). Because so much of the offense runs through him, especially in the high post, better ball-security is a thing the coaches will look for; that and a higher percentage of finishes around the rim, as well as an improvement on his 64.9% at the free-throw line last season, where his 194 attempts were the second-most on the team (only five fewer than Haugh's 199). Condon has put a ton of work into his 3-point shooting (just 17.0% last season and 26.2 for his career), but time will tell if that becomes an element of the offense. He definitely has launched from deep with much more confidence the last few months. So much of the hype heading into '26-27 will fall on Haugh, just like it did on Condon in '25-26. Perhaps that will take some pressure off the decorated Australian, who everyone knows is as valuable as any player on the team. Condon is a hub of the offense and he will lean into that responsibility; much like he and Haugh did in stretching their vocal leadership duties over the summer.
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NATION – Rueben Chinyelu
The Gators would sign up for exactly what their beastly center gave them in '25-26 on his way to being named both SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. Both parties, however, believe they can get more. Incredibly strong, yet incredibly agile, Chinyelu scored 10.9 points and grabbed a league-high 11.2 rebounds per game. Along the way, he became the first UF player in 32 years to clear at least 20 rebounds in a single game – and he did that three times. In Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu, the Gators have three bona fide All-America candidates who very well could neutralize each other's individual accolades, but they also have the best front line in the country and, collectively, the hardest-playing; one that (again) will pound the offensive glass, where UF was No. 2 nationally in retrieving 43.2% of its misses. Florida has combined to win 63 of its 74 games the last two seasons, with the 6-10½, 265-pound Chinyelu the only player to start all of them. His zero-point, 1-rebound performance in the crushing NCAA loss to Iowa will always be a mystery, but also figures to put a chip on the massive set of shoulders attached to one of the most physically imposing players in the modern era of college basketball.
CONTINUITY AT THE CONTROLS – Boogie Fland
The transfer from Arkansas arrived still on the mend from midseason hand surgery during his freshman year with the Razorbacks, then underwent hip pointer surgery that cost him a huge chunk of summer and preseason prep. Once cleared, Fland did solid work running the UF offense (121 assists, just 55 turnovers in starting all 35 games) and played outstanding defense (team-high 63 steals). The former McDonald's All American, though, had a bizarre season shooting the ball on the way to averaging 11.6 points on 44.7% from the floor and 24.0% from the arc Fland shot 25% from deep in pre-SEC play, then went just 5-for-42 over the Gators' first 14 league games (11.9%), only to heat up by making 11 of his last 30 over the final nine games (36.6%, which aligned closer to the 34% in his one season at Arkansas). Over the summer, Fland picked up his floor generalship where he left it off, as a point guard of his pedigree should do in his second year in the system. That's a key point, too, given Golden has not had the same point guard for two consecutive seasons since he got to Florida in 2022 (going from Kyle Loften to Zyon Pullin to Walter Clayton Jr. to Fland). The coaches want Fland to play freer and let his instincts and lightning end-to-end speed take over, while being more communicative in a role that requires leadership. At 6-3 and 185, Fland is going to give away some girth and get banged around most nights in the SEC, but needs to take on that challenge, play through contact and finish stronger at the basket. Again, his familiarity in the offense – and with so many returning players – was on display all summer and is expected to continue into the fall.
BACK IN THE FOLD (HOPEFULLY) – Denzel Aberdeen
Whether Aberdeen is eligible to play for the Gators might depend on what day you're reading this story. Unfortunately, that may be the case in the weeks to the run-up of the regular season, as his situation gets sorted out through the courts, what with lawyers representing Aberdeen having filed a lawsuit last week seeking a fifth year of eligibility. In the interim, Aberdeen is UF's starting 2-guard after starting 36 games at the point for Kentucky last season. The UF coaches see the 6-5, 195-pounder – with three seasons as a Gator, including the '25 championship run – as the consistent 3-point shooting threat they were missing last season (36.3% for the Wildcats, 35.1 for his career), as well as their best late-clock option. They loved everything about Aberdeen when he was here and made him a priority when game-planning for the Wildcats last season. At UK, Aberdeen averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists over nearly 31 minutes per game. He averaged 16.7 in three games against the Gators, but lost all three. His transition back into the program (and system) has been seamless. The NCAA process has not. Stay tuned. UF should find out something definitively in October.
SUPER-SHOOTING SUB – Urban Klavzar
He was voted SEC Sixth Man of the Year, but a case could be made he was among the very best sixth men in the country. Klavzar, in his second UF season, came off the bench to average 9.6 points (and shot a team-high 90.3% at the free-throw line), with 71 of his 104 field goals coming from the 3-point line, where he connected at a rip-roaring 40.6%. Tough, competitive, consistent, Klavzar is a five-star glue guy who has never so much as moped or complained about his backup role, which allows him to come off the bench with a green light that must be accounted for by the defense. His 3-point marksmanship has (stunningly) been even better and his range (amazingly) even deeper during summer scrimmages. Now, in the event of a worst-case scenario regarding Aberdeen, does Klavzar slide into that 2-guard spot? That's a conversation the coaching staff will have. He was a 21-minute guy last season as a reserve and there is no one else on the roster who can come close to duplicating the game-changing dynamic Klavzar gives them off the bench. Moving him into the starter's role could be a tough compromise, but certainly a possibility.
NEXT STEP – Isaiah Brown
A light went off for sophomore wing last season. Brown finished strong and with a solid 12- to 14-minute role in the rotation. In SEC play, he averaged 6.6 points, shot 50.6% from the floor, 41.9% from the 3-point line and pulled 2.6 rebounds per game. He has toned up what already was a strong physique – Brown is an absolute load with a head of steam going downhill and will crash the glass – and looks in the best shape of his career. All that being said, the 6-4, 210-pound junior will be in a daily war for consistent minutes at the 3-spot, where a handful of guys will compete for a spot that everyone in the program figured would be up for grabs until Haugh made his surprise decision to return. There have been some difficult internal conversions about the "3" spot and there will be more. Golden likes to settle on an eight-man rotation (with maybe a ninth guy getting mini-minutes here and there) for league play. The most consistent (as in day-to-day; practice to games; both ends of the floor) will have edge. Over the last several weeks, that guy has been Brown. And he's already shown the coaches he can play a valuable role, based on his contributions in '26.
HIS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IS OPEN – Alex Lloyd
No one made the strides that Lloyd did over the summer. Frankly, no one needed to make them as much as Lloyd did. The 6-3, 180-pound combo guard arrived as a rookie from Miami last year with plenty of skill – and a beautiful shot – but to get in the mix for his sophomore season Lloyd needed to get tougher and more physical. After making mop-up appearances and scoring only 21 points in 17 games, Lloyd has been a mostly consistent player in practice and pickup games. He's taken the necessary steps toward giving his coach the trust needed to put him in a game and know he's going to play with confidence on offense (especially in taking care of the ball) and getting after it on defense (with physicality). Heading into fall practices, Lloyd appears to have an edge in the competition to be that fourth guard (after Fland, Aberdeen and Klavzar), but will need to show that he has the poise and maturity to do it when the lights come on. The exhibition games will be key for him. Lloyd was a top-40 national prospect who averaged nearly 28 points a game in high school. Imagine the Gators with another shooting threat on the perimeter.
KEEP BUILDING – CJ Ingram
He didn't get many opportunities as a freshman last season. Remember, Ingram was only two years into his basketball-only mode after a phenomenal prep career as a quarterback at Hawthorne (Fla) High. The 6-6, 205-pounder played in 21 games and averaged 2.2 points while shooting an impressive 8-for-16 from the 3-point line. Ingram is a terrific athlete (maybe the best on the team) and plays solid defense, but is still getting a feel for the game as a decision-maker and learning where he's supposed to be. He's expected to make the natural freshman-to-sophomore jump as he competes for spot duty on the perimeter.
NEXT GENERATION – Arturas Butajevas
He's 6-11, 235 pounds and upon arrival from Lithuania had a rude awakening to the American game by getting pulverized by Chinyelu and Condon on a daily basis. Butajevas, though, was part of the eight-player Gator junket that went to California to train for a week in August. Once back in Gainesville, he put together a terrific stretch to start the run-up to fall. He will have a chance, possibly, to carve out a Micah Handlogten-like minutes niche, but he's a ways from that. Initial scouting reports on Butajevas drew Condon comparisons, what with his size, length and ability to run the floor, but he's not as athletic and his motor is not the same. What he is, though (already), is a good enough player who makes good decisions and likely would be playing 15 to 20 minutes on 330 other college basketball teams; just not on the one with the best and deepest front court in the country.
SIZE AND SHOOTING – Domen Petrovic
Petrovic does not look like your garden variety collegiate rookie. There's a reason for that. He's 22 years old, having played the last several seasons in lower-level Slovenia professional basketball. He's a solid 6-9 and 230 pounds, but with that size comes feel, skill and some savvy as far as playmaking. Petrovic's jump shot is D1 ready, but the adjustment to power conference speed, physicality and ball-security is in its early stages. In the competition with Brown and Ingram on the wing, there's definitely a path for him (Petrovic does some things, as far as processing plays and shooting the ball, the others do not), but to get there he will have take and dish out contact in a way he's not had to do before.
SHOOTER ON STANDBY – AJ Brown
He's a 37% career shooter from the 3-point line, including 38.8 during his '24-25 junior season at Ohio when he averaged 13.2 points per game. That's the last time Brown was on the court. Isaiah's older brother came via the transfer portal in the spring of '25, underwent shoulder surgery, sat out the '25-26 season as a medical redshirt and was exemplary in his role as energetic cheerleader on the bench. So, what now? The 6-4, 210-pound shooting guard is healthy, but looks to have as many as four players (Aberdeen, Klavzar, Lloyd and Ingram) between he and floor time, but you'd never know it by the way the always-gregarious Brown goes about his daily business. That may again be his role for '26-27. Or circumstances may arise where the Gators need him as a shooter off the bench.
FAMILIAR DEPTH UP FRONT – Viktor Mikic
The Serbian big man has been a good soldier through his time at UF, which is entering its third season. With the wealth of bigs on the roster, the 6-11, 260-pounder has had limited opportunities (just 56 minutes over 21 games his first two years) and the additions of the two new international players likely won't change his situation much, if at all. Mikic's value is what he gives the first-unit centers and forwards during scrimmages and scout team time, but the coaches believe he'll be ready if called upon.
ENERGY IN RESERVE – Alex Kovatchev
Teammates love "AK." He came in the offseason of '25 from Sacramento State, got a look early in the regular season when the Gators were sorting through their rotation and ended up as a deep-bench guy and valuable scout-team player. Kovatchev appeared in just 15 games (for only 49 minutes) but like his Aussie running mate Condon plays hard, makes winning plays in practice and, like the elder Brown, brings energy and enthusiasm on the sidelines.
FRESHMAN POST MAN – Jones Lay
The Gators signed three freshmen, all bigs, and Lay is the largest of the lot at 6-11 and 240 pounds. As a rookie in the first official season of NCAA five-for-five – and on this team, with this front court – there is next to no expectation for the North Carolina three-star prospect to play, but make no mistake: Lay is getting coached; loud and hard. You can bet that's the plan for Lay because, as a young developmental player, he is very much in the program's future plans. He already has excellent size and some functional skills (Lay has flashed some nice moments in scrimmages), but the challenge – like with his fellow D1 rookies – is meeting the physicality of this new level of play. With the NCAA having done away with walk-ons (15 scholarship players on DI rosters), Lay could be the guy the Rowdy Reptiles are calling for this season when games get out of hand.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
Well, the Florida Gators won it all in 2025 and two seasons later have four players on their roster who were part of Coach Todd Golden's national-championship rotation – a trio of whom have All-Southeastern Conference honors on their respective resumes – plus another three who were on that remarkable squad, two of whom pitched in during key moments during that season. That's a lot of winning know-how in the building.
Which is why Florida is expected to start the 2026-27 college basketball campaign as the nation's No. 1 team when the preseason polls are announced next month.
In the interim, the Gators will open full-go fall practice on Sept. 21. That's one week away. They've been at it, of course, basically since last April, not long after the '25-26 season ended in heart-breaking fashion with a second-round NCAA upset loss – as a No. 1 seed, no less – to ninth-seeded Iowa.
Each year, in the run-up to preseason practice, we take stock in where the team stands after an offseason of watching individual workouts, practices and competitive pick-up games. The projected roles below, obviously are subject to change (Yes, I've had a few misses in this space over the years), given the events that occur over the course of a season.
Note: They've changed in just the last few weeks.
The excitement for '26-27 figures to be sky high. The expectations, also.
UF opens the season Nov. 2 against Miami in Tampa. That's just 49 days away.
Time to prime.
THE ALL AMERICAN – Thomas Haugh
It's not an oversell to suggest that Haugh is flirting with icon status in the stratosphere of – dare I say? – Tim Tebow. Unlike Tebow, who was not universally regarded as an elite pro prospect, Haugh was a projected NBA lottery pick -- he'd have been UF's first since Bradley Beal in 2012 -- when he chose to bypass the professional route and return to play his senior season in great part because of the disappointing way his junior season ended, but also because he loves the University of Florida. Imagine that concept in this NIL day and age. Haugh was not just a stalwart, but a star off the bench for the 2025 team that captured the NCAA crown his sophomore year. As a junior, the 6-foot-9, 215-pounder made the switch from forward to wing and was a first-team All-SEC performer after averaging a team-high 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. This season, Haugh again will start at the "3," but look for the majority of his minutes to be back at the "4," where his effort, length and savvy prove ever-present, as he shares front line duty with his fellow two All-America candidates (read on), and as the coaching staff looks to put their best players in their best positions to succeed for the team. That thinking could change if Haugh improves on the 32.6% he converted from the 3-point line in '25-26, as the team collectively must be better from distance than the 32.1% last season. That was the sixth-lowest mark in program history. When preseason All-America teams are released in the coming weeks, Haugh will be on all of them. Probably a first-teamer.
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM – Alex Condon
He's been one of the best forwards in the SEC the last three years. Over the last 15 games of '25-26, "Condo" was one of the best players in the country. The 6-11, 236-pound forward took his one-point, four-turnover performance in the Jan. 24 home loss against Auburn personally. During the season's second half, he averaged 16.5 points on 61% shooting to go with 6.9 rebounds per game, playing to his preseason All American accolades. The Gators want more of that Condon, along with fewer turnovers. Though he finished with 123 assists to 83 turnovers, Condon had eight games with at least four turnovers (and five with at least five). Because so much of the offense runs through him, especially in the high post, better ball-security is a thing the coaches will look for; that and a higher percentage of finishes around the rim, as well as an improvement on his 64.9% at the free-throw line last season, where his 194 attempts were the second-most on the team (only five fewer than Haugh's 199). Condon has put a ton of work into his 3-point shooting (just 17.0% last season and 26.2 for his career), but time will tell if that becomes an element of the offense. He definitely has launched from deep with much more confidence the last few months. So much of the hype heading into '26-27 will fall on Haugh, just like it did on Condon in '25-26. Perhaps that will take some pressure off the decorated Australian, who everyone knows is as valuable as any player on the team. Condon is a hub of the offense and he will lean into that responsibility; much like he and Haugh did in stretching their vocal leadership duties over the summer.
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NATION – Rueben Chinyelu
The Gators would sign up for exactly what their beastly center gave them in '25-26 on his way to being named both SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. Both parties, however, believe they can get more. Incredibly strong, yet incredibly agile, Chinyelu scored 10.9 points and grabbed a league-high 11.2 rebounds per game. Along the way, he became the first UF player in 32 years to clear at least 20 rebounds in a single game – and he did that three times. In Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu, the Gators have three bona fide All-America candidates who very well could neutralize each other's individual accolades, but they also have the best front line in the country and, collectively, the hardest-playing; one that (again) will pound the offensive glass, where UF was No. 2 nationally in retrieving 43.2% of its misses. Florida has combined to win 63 of its 74 games the last two seasons, with the 6-10½, 265-pound Chinyelu the only player to start all of them. His zero-point, 1-rebound performance in the crushing NCAA loss to Iowa will always be a mystery, but also figures to put a chip on the massive set of shoulders attached to one of the most physically imposing players in the modern era of college basketball.
CONTINUITY AT THE CONTROLS – Boogie Fland
The transfer from Arkansas arrived still on the mend from midseason hand surgery during his freshman year with the Razorbacks, then underwent hip pointer surgery that cost him a huge chunk of summer and preseason prep. Once cleared, Fland did solid work running the UF offense (121 assists, just 55 turnovers in starting all 35 games) and played outstanding defense (team-high 63 steals). The former McDonald's All American, though, had a bizarre season shooting the ball on the way to averaging 11.6 points on 44.7% from the floor and 24.0% from the arc Fland shot 25% from deep in pre-SEC play, then went just 5-for-42 over the Gators' first 14 league games (11.9%), only to heat up by making 11 of his last 30 over the final nine games (36.6%, which aligned closer to the 34% in his one season at Arkansas). Over the summer, Fland picked up his floor generalship where he left it off, as a point guard of his pedigree should do in his second year in the system. That's a key point, too, given Golden has not had the same point guard for two consecutive seasons since he got to Florida in 2022 (going from Kyle Loften to Zyon Pullin to Walter Clayton Jr. to Fland). The coaches want Fland to play freer and let his instincts and lightning end-to-end speed take over, while being more communicative in a role that requires leadership. At 6-3 and 185, Fland is going to give away some girth and get banged around most nights in the SEC, but needs to take on that challenge, play through contact and finish stronger at the basket. Again, his familiarity in the offense – and with so many returning players – was on display all summer and is expected to continue into the fall.
BACK IN THE FOLD (HOPEFULLY) – Denzel Aberdeen
Whether Aberdeen is eligible to play for the Gators might depend on what day you're reading this story. Unfortunately, that may be the case in the weeks to the run-up of the regular season, as his situation gets sorted out through the courts, what with lawyers representing Aberdeen having filed a lawsuit last week seeking a fifth year of eligibility. In the interim, Aberdeen is UF's starting 2-guard after starting 36 games at the point for Kentucky last season. The UF coaches see the 6-5, 195-pounder – with three seasons as a Gator, including the '25 championship run – as the consistent 3-point shooting threat they were missing last season (36.3% for the Wildcats, 35.1 for his career), as well as their best late-clock option. They loved everything about Aberdeen when he was here and made him a priority when game-planning for the Wildcats last season. At UK, Aberdeen averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists over nearly 31 minutes per game. He averaged 16.7 in three games against the Gators, but lost all three. His transition back into the program (and system) has been seamless. The NCAA process has not. Stay tuned. UF should find out something definitively in October.
SUPER-SHOOTING SUB – Urban Klavzar
He was voted SEC Sixth Man of the Year, but a case could be made he was among the very best sixth men in the country. Klavzar, in his second UF season, came off the bench to average 9.6 points (and shot a team-high 90.3% at the free-throw line), with 71 of his 104 field goals coming from the 3-point line, where he connected at a rip-roaring 40.6%. Tough, competitive, consistent, Klavzar is a five-star glue guy who has never so much as moped or complained about his backup role, which allows him to come off the bench with a green light that must be accounted for by the defense. His 3-point marksmanship has (stunningly) been even better and his range (amazingly) even deeper during summer scrimmages. Now, in the event of a worst-case scenario regarding Aberdeen, does Klavzar slide into that 2-guard spot? That's a conversation the coaching staff will have. He was a 21-minute guy last season as a reserve and there is no one else on the roster who can come close to duplicating the game-changing dynamic Klavzar gives them off the bench. Moving him into the starter's role could be a tough compromise, but certainly a possibility.
NEXT STEP – Isaiah Brown
A light went off for sophomore wing last season. Brown finished strong and with a solid 12- to 14-minute role in the rotation. In SEC play, he averaged 6.6 points, shot 50.6% from the floor, 41.9% from the 3-point line and pulled 2.6 rebounds per game. He has toned up what already was a strong physique – Brown is an absolute load with a head of steam going downhill and will crash the glass – and looks in the best shape of his career. All that being said, the 6-4, 210-pound junior will be in a daily war for consistent minutes at the 3-spot, where a handful of guys will compete for a spot that everyone in the program figured would be up for grabs until Haugh made his surprise decision to return. There have been some difficult internal conversions about the "3" spot and there will be more. Golden likes to settle on an eight-man rotation (with maybe a ninth guy getting mini-minutes here and there) for league play. The most consistent (as in day-to-day; practice to games; both ends of the floor) will have edge. Over the last several weeks, that guy has been Brown. And he's already shown the coaches he can play a valuable role, based on his contributions in '26.
HIS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IS OPEN – Alex Lloyd
No one made the strides that Lloyd did over the summer. Frankly, no one needed to make them as much as Lloyd did. The 6-3, 180-pound combo guard arrived as a rookie from Miami last year with plenty of skill – and a beautiful shot – but to get in the mix for his sophomore season Lloyd needed to get tougher and more physical. After making mop-up appearances and scoring only 21 points in 17 games, Lloyd has been a mostly consistent player in practice and pickup games. He's taken the necessary steps toward giving his coach the trust needed to put him in a game and know he's going to play with confidence on offense (especially in taking care of the ball) and getting after it on defense (with physicality). Heading into fall practices, Lloyd appears to have an edge in the competition to be that fourth guard (after Fland, Aberdeen and Klavzar), but will need to show that he has the poise and maturity to do it when the lights come on. The exhibition games will be key for him. Lloyd was a top-40 national prospect who averaged nearly 28 points a game in high school. Imagine the Gators with another shooting threat on the perimeter.
KEEP BUILDING – CJ Ingram
He didn't get many opportunities as a freshman last season. Remember, Ingram was only two years into his basketball-only mode after a phenomenal prep career as a quarterback at Hawthorne (Fla) High. The 6-6, 205-pounder played in 21 games and averaged 2.2 points while shooting an impressive 8-for-16 from the 3-point line. Ingram is a terrific athlete (maybe the best on the team) and plays solid defense, but is still getting a feel for the game as a decision-maker and learning where he's supposed to be. He's expected to make the natural freshman-to-sophomore jump as he competes for spot duty on the perimeter.
NEXT GENERATION – Arturas Butajevas
He's 6-11, 235 pounds and upon arrival from Lithuania had a rude awakening to the American game by getting pulverized by Chinyelu and Condon on a daily basis. Butajevas, though, was part of the eight-player Gator junket that went to California to train for a week in August. Once back in Gainesville, he put together a terrific stretch to start the run-up to fall. He will have a chance, possibly, to carve out a Micah Handlogten-like minutes niche, but he's a ways from that. Initial scouting reports on Butajevas drew Condon comparisons, what with his size, length and ability to run the floor, but he's not as athletic and his motor is not the same. What he is, though (already), is a good enough player who makes good decisions and likely would be playing 15 to 20 minutes on 330 other college basketball teams; just not on the one with the best and deepest front court in the country.
SIZE AND SHOOTING – Domen Petrovic
Petrovic does not look like your garden variety collegiate rookie. There's a reason for that. He's 22 years old, having played the last several seasons in lower-level Slovenia professional basketball. He's a solid 6-9 and 230 pounds, but with that size comes feel, skill and some savvy as far as playmaking. Petrovic's jump shot is D1 ready, but the adjustment to power conference speed, physicality and ball-security is in its early stages. In the competition with Brown and Ingram on the wing, there's definitely a path for him (Petrovic does some things, as far as processing plays and shooting the ball, the others do not), but to get there he will have take and dish out contact in a way he's not had to do before.
SHOOTER ON STANDBY – AJ Brown
He's a 37% career shooter from the 3-point line, including 38.8 during his '24-25 junior season at Ohio when he averaged 13.2 points per game. That's the last time Brown was on the court. Isaiah's older brother came via the transfer portal in the spring of '25, underwent shoulder surgery, sat out the '25-26 season as a medical redshirt and was exemplary in his role as energetic cheerleader on the bench. So, what now? The 6-4, 210-pound shooting guard is healthy, but looks to have as many as four players (Aberdeen, Klavzar, Lloyd and Ingram) between he and floor time, but you'd never know it by the way the always-gregarious Brown goes about his daily business. That may again be his role for '26-27. Or circumstances may arise where the Gators need him as a shooter off the bench.
FAMILIAR DEPTH UP FRONT – Viktor Mikic
The Serbian big man has been a good soldier through his time at UF, which is entering its third season. With the wealth of bigs on the roster, the 6-11, 260-pounder has had limited opportunities (just 56 minutes over 21 games his first two years) and the additions of the two new international players likely won't change his situation much, if at all. Mikic's value is what he gives the first-unit centers and forwards during scrimmages and scout team time, but the coaches believe he'll be ready if called upon.
ENERGY IN RESERVE – Alex Kovatchev
Teammates love "AK." He came in the offseason of '25 from Sacramento State, got a look early in the regular season when the Gators were sorting through their rotation and ended up as a deep-bench guy and valuable scout-team player. Kovatchev appeared in just 15 games (for only 49 minutes) but like his Aussie running mate Condon plays hard, makes winning plays in practice and, like the elder Brown, brings energy and enthusiasm on the sidelines.
FRESHMAN POST MAN – Jones Lay
The Gators signed three freshmen, all bigs, and Lay is the largest of the lot at 6-11 and 240 pounds. As a rookie in the first official season of NCAA five-for-five – and on this team, with this front court – there is next to no expectation for the North Carolina three-star prospect to play, but make no mistake: Lay is getting coached; loud and hard. You can bet that's the plan for Lay because, as a young developmental player, he is very much in the program's future plans. He already has excellent size and some functional skills (Lay has flashed some nice moments in scrimmages), but the challenge – like with his fellow D1 rookies – is meeting the physicality of this new level of play. With the NCAA having done away with walk-ons (15 scholarship players on DI rosters), Lay could be the guy the Rowdy Reptiles are calling for this season when games get out of hand.
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/ Men's BasketballMonday, September 07
Tuesday, June 09
Thursday, April 23
Wednesday, April 22
