The rising junior averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds for the national champions
UF RELEASE

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Rising junior forward/center Alex Condon will withdraw from the NBA Draft process and return to Florida, he announced via his social media accounts on Tuesday. Condon was one of the NBA's invitees at the NBA Combine in Chicago.

In his sophomore season, Condon posted seven double-doubles and earned coaches third-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. Condon posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Gators' win at No. 1 Auburn on Feb. 8. He closed the regular season with a pair of massive performances, posting 27 points and 10 rebounds in the win at No. 7 Alabama and tallying 17 points and 15 rebounds vs. Ole Miss.

Condon etched himself into Gator history with his dive on the loose ball at the end of the national championship game, capping a 12-point, seven-rebound, four-steal performance to help Florida claim the title. All four primary frontcourt players from that championship team will be back with the Gators in 2025-26, while the Gators' backcourt returns Urban Klavžar and Isaiah Brown and welcomes newcomers AJ Brown, Boogie Fland, CJ Ingram, Xaivian Lee and Alex Lloyd.

2025-26 Men's Basketball Season Tickets
Following a 15-1 home record, nine sellout crowds, and the highest attendance since the 2016-2017 season, the defending National Champions are set for another exciting year in the O'Dome. Season ticket packages<https://floridagators.com/sports/2022/12/15/mens-basketball-season-tickets> for the 2025-2026 campaign are on sale now and selling quickly. Be sure to secure your seats while supplies last!

"With deep pride in our university and full confidence in its future, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Santa Ono back to Gainesville early next week. On Tuesday, the UF Board of Trustees will vote on his candidacy to become the 14th President of the University of Florida. The meeting can be viewed online starting at 10 a.m. at the following link:
https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/af9f086641f746bd83a38417169a3c6a1d.

"Dr. Ono is one of the most respected academic leaders in the world — a biomedical scientist, scholar, and proven executive who has led some of North America’s most complex and leading institutions. His record of achievement spans innovation, operational excellence, and transformational leadership. He is the right person to accelerate UF’s upward trajectory and help make it the undisputed leader among America’s public universities.

Jac has homered in three consecutive games in Triple-A. Looking like a potential callup in a month or two.

Login to view embedded media

Login to view embedded media
Doesn't seem *too* promising but let's see what happens.

Lies, Distractions, and Possibilities....
If you find info on something, especially if it's new and/or unheard of, put it up.

SR-71 Blackbird -- Lockeed Skunkworks 1964-98
Leading to the:

SR-72 Darkstar (son of blackbird from Skunkworks)
Similar to the 2nd Maverick movie plane.
Login to view embedded media
SR-91 Aurora - 3,000+ MPH 'Donuts on a Rope'
Login to view embedded media
From the altitude and at the speed suggested, unable to fire weapons or drop bombs effectively...

I should very much like to cave your skull in with a framing hammer.

Since fall practice is underway and the Gators are playing exhibition games, I thought it would be good to get the discussion going about the upcoming season. #1 signing class in the nation, an upgrade at pitching coach, 2 quality portal transfers and a great returning corp of players has many people thinking this team has a decent shot at not only the SEC title, but the National Championship. Here are some links to bring everybody up to date:

He's also a crowd surfer.
Login to view embedded media

Lagway's projected backup for 2025:

QB-pp Harrison Bailey 6-5 230 - 6th Yr Sr - Tn-UNLV-UL xfer - Marietta, GA

P 2024 - 24 of 33 72.7% for 227 Yds, 6.9 Ave, 3 TD, 0 Int, L-28
2024 Bowl vs Wash - 16 of 25, 64% for 164 Yds, 6.6 Ave, 3 TD, 0 Int L-28, 0 Sac
3 Team Career - 108 of 171, 60.7% for 1,190 Yds, 11.0 Ave, 10 TD, 3 Int, 19 Sac, L-74
Rushing - 44 for -4 Yds, 2 TD - A few good runs, but ate up by 19 sacks.
A career backup QB, so here's to hoping DJ stays healthy....
==============

Just the iG,,,, but I'd work hard with the incoming recruit to see if he could be the backup or #3 and get playing time for 2026 season backup preparation. I'm not much on xfer QB's as anyone reading here long time already knows. (hare today, goon tomorrow)

QB Tramell Jones 6-1 210 **** - Mandarin/Jacksonville - Injured, only 2 Sr Gms.
HS Career 35 Gms:
P - 451 of 760 59.3% for 7,197 Yds, 16.0 Ave, 75TD, 21 Int, L-91
R - 56 for 356 Yds, 6.4 YPC, 2 TD's, L-12

Every 2024 roster QB except Mertz is back for 2025, so depth, but without much quality imo.

This is no surprise as we now wait for Alex Condon to return as well.

Three Players to watch against Florida in the Conway Regional
Hector


The Florida Gators are back in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th consecutive season. The Gators will not host but are the #2 seed in the Conway Regional hosted by the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

Coastal Carolina is the #13 overall team in the NCAA Tournament. East Carolina is the #3 seed and Fairfield is the #4 seed in the Conway Regional. Florida’s first game will be against the East Carolina Pirates on Friday afternoon. Here are three players to watch against the Gators in the Conway Regional.

1. C Caden Bodine

Junior catcher Caden Bodine is one of the top collegiate hitting prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bodine is also one of the top catchers in college baseball and the leading hitter for Coastal Carolina.

In his junior season, Bodine has played and started in all 57 games. Bodine is slashing .333/.477/.468 with 67 hits, sixteen doubles, three home runs, 36 RBIs, 44 walks, and a team-high .945 OPS.

The First Team All-Sun Belt catcher is one of the best pure hitters in college baseball. He’s a switch-hitting catcher with tremendous bat-to-ball skills and an advanced approach at the plate. Bodine carries a 7.2 K% and 16.7 BB%. He’s also a solid defensive catcher with a quick release and solid arm strength. On MLB Pipeline, Bodine is the 37th-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft.

2. LHP Ethan Norby

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ethan Norby is the likely starting pitcher for East Carolina in their first game versus Florida. Norby is one of the top southpaw pitchers in college baseball. He’s also the younger brother of Marlins infielder Connor Norby.

In his sophomore season, Norby made seventeen appearances and thirteen starts. Norby posted a 7-5 record with a 3.81 ERA, one complete game, a .216 opponent batting average, and 109 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched.

On the mound, Norby has a three-pitch mix including his fastball, slider, and changeup. Norby’s fastball sits 88-92 mph and tops out at 93 mph with good movement. Norby mixes his pitches well and confidence to throw any of the pitches in any count.

3. OF Matthew Bucciero

Junior outfielder Matthew Bucciero has been one of the best hitters for the Fairfield Stags this season. Bucciero has been a huge offensive contributor for the Stags since he enrolled on campus.

In the 2025 season, Bucciero has played and started in all 56 games. Bucciero is slashing .351/.468/.635 with 78 hits, thirteen doubles, four triples, fourteen home runs, 66 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, 49 walks, and a team-high 1.103 OPS.

The two-time First Team All-Metro Atlantic outfielder will need to have a huge weekend if Fairfield can pull off a major upset. The Stags have a talented roster with a quality weekend rotation and some dangerous hitters in their lineup.

Clearly, this is changed into a Democratic tool trying to get us involved in a war to make Trump look bad and to keep him from being able to do his primary job and goal, which is to fix the American government. What’s happening now is become dangerous.

What Joe Biden just did, or whoever’s controlling him behind the scenes, is clearly an attempt to distract people from investigating his role in Ukraine, dating back 15 years, in addition to escalating a war to hurt Trump

Don’t know if they can sustain it, But as a product of the Cold War generation I’m enjoying watching Ukraine stand up to Russia like they have for over two years.

But when I posted this, I was hoping it would turn into something like Afghanistan for them, which, in some ways it has, but it is becoming dangerous in terms of potential escalation

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Owen Puk is the younger brother of former Florida LHP AJ Puk. Had a really good season at FIU last season. Draft eligible

Login to view embedded media

The men's golf team has made it to the Final 8 Match Play round and will face Texas at 9:50 EST this morning.

We are just three good rounds away from another national title!!

Login to view embedded media
Gators Boys Stay 🔥

It's not the same ole boring games to watch, a Generalization player has emerged.

There had only been 6 Triple-Doubles in their 22 year history, with none ever by a rookie.
The Indiana Fever had never had a player with a Triple-Double.
Enter PG Caitlin Clark in 2024.
She not only had a Triple-Double, she had two as a rookie.
She also broke 62 records, both rookie records and all time WNBA records.

Login to view embedded media

Franz Beard:

It's a new and improved Alex Condon who returns to Florida

Alex Condon’s decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft for one more year playing for the Florida Gators comes with a warning that every team in college basketball should heed.

“My jumper has improved immensely with how much work I've put into that,” Condon told ESPN Tuesday about the benefits of his workouts at the NBA Combine and for teams that were considering drafting him. “My overall offensive package will be on display more at Florida next season.”

We saw what happened with Walter Clayton Jr. after he dabbled his toes in the NBA waters. Clayton already was playing at an All-SEC level. He came back from the NBA workouts focused on applying what he learned and the improvement in his game was evident from the moment the Gators opened the 2024-25 season. Clayton went on to become a consensus All-American, won Most Outstanding Player honors at the SEC Tournament, NCAA West Regional and Final Four while leading Florida to its first national championship since 2007.

Condon played a significant role in Florida’s march to the national championship, averaging 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He showed 3-point range on his jumper but was inconsistent there and at the foul line. He had games in which he was a dominant offensive force and others in which he all but disappeared.

He was a consistent force as a defender and rebounder although it was evident that another year in the weight room would benefit him enormously in both phases of his game.

Had Condon remained in the NBA Draft he would have certainly been selected, possibly in the first round, but more likely in the second. When he weighed the NBA against returning to Florida, however, a return to Gainesville for a chance to win another national championship and the improvement in his game that could elevate him to a lottery pick in the 2026 draft won the day.

The decision to return was filled with positives.

"It's a really good situation waiting for me there," Condon told ESPN. "A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My big man coach, Carlin Hartman, is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him."

Loyalty also played a part in Condon’s decision. He was not highly recruited. Golden discovered him at an NBA Global event in Las Vegas. Golden was there to scout Nigerian Rueben Chinyelu, who would sign with Washington State. While scouting Chinyelu, Golden became enamored with Condon and was able to land the talented but still raw Australian.

“I didn't come to Florida with too many expectations,” Condon said. “The coaching staff bet on me, and I wanted to reward them by playing as hard as I could. Coach Golden gave me the opportunity to play as a freshman, which helped my transition to this year, where I played with more confidence and became an important part of the team."

Ironically, after one season at Washington State, Chinyelu transferred to Florida. Like Condon, Chinyelu tested the NBA Draft waters by attending the G-League Combine. He performed well, got good information about what he needs to do to improve his game and draft stock, then made the decision to come back to Florida.

Even before Condon made the decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft, the Gators of 2025-26 figured to be a top five team. With Condon back in the fold, the Gators are likely to start next season as the No. 1 team in the country. Florida will certainly be the odds-on favorite to win the Southeastern Conference title.

Condon’t return gives Golden and the Gators unprecedented size, experience and depth in the frontcourt. There isn’t a team in the Southeastern Conference or the entire country capable of matching the Florida foursome of Condon (6-11, 232), Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260), Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215) and Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255). As if that’s not enough, the Gators have redshirt freshmen Viktor Mikic (6-11, 250) and Olivier Rioux (7-9, 315) in the developmental stage. Golden indicated a week ago that he is likely to add one more player to Florida’s already loaded roster. Most likely, Golden will be looking to add another big guy who is an international player. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that when Golden was asked to speak last week when the Gators visited the White House that he pulled out his passport while reaching for his notes.

Haugh’s development in the second half of last season, particularly his play during Florida’s run through the SEC and NCAA tournaments, makes it a necessity to get him the starting lineup. He’s a good enough shooter to play on the wing and, as he proved against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game, he can knock down threes when the pressure is on.

A front line of Condon, Chinyelu and/or Handlogten with Haugh on the wing would be formidable. Condon and Chinyelu started every game last season with Haugh the top sixth man in the SEC and a productive starter when Condon missed a number of games with a high ankle sprain. Handlogten, who burned his redshirt to give the Gators the depth they needed to win it all, started every game in 2023-24 before suffering a fractured leg in the SEC Tournament championship game against Auburn. All four played critical roles in Florida’s 3-game run to the SEC Tournament title and the six games of the NCAA Tournament.

Now, add to that front line the experience and explosiveness of transfers Xaivian Lee (6-4, 180) from Princeton, Boogie Fland (6-2, 175) from Arkansas and AJ Brown (6-4, 200) from Ohio University. Lee averaged 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game at Princeton. Fland averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists at Arkansas. Brown averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds for Ohio. Those three combined to averaged 43.3 points per game, so the Gators have almost replaced the firepower lost when Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin exhausted their eligibility. Behind Lee, Fland and Brown are sophomores Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown and incoming freshmen Alex Lloyd (6-4, 175) and CJ Ingram (6-6, 200). Klavzar is a brilliant shooter while Isaiah Brown is like a clone of older brother AJ. Lloyd and Ingram were both 4-star recruits ranked among the top 30 high school players in the country.

There isn’t a deeper team in the country and certainly not one with more experience. Todd Golden assembled the best and most flexible roster in the country a year ago when the Gators went 36-4 and won their last 12 games. With the return of Condon to go with the transfers and freshmen, Golden has once again proven he is a master at building a roster. Despite the loss of Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin, the Gators have not rebuilt, but rather they have reloaded.

Winning consecutive NCAA basketball championships is one of the more difficult tasks in sports. Since UCLA won an unprecedented seven straight championships from 1967-73, only three teams have repeated – Duke 1991-92, Florida 2006-07, and UConn 2023-24.

Can the Gators do it again? They have the size, the depth and the talent to do it. Condon said Tuesday that he’s ready to start the offseason work that it will take to bring another NCAA title back to Gainesville.

“It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon told ESPN. "We're not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. Get back to Gainesville, share in some hardship through hard work in the summer, and get used to playing with each other. Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team."

From Adam

I served in Iraq and I spent a lot of time dealing with SUNI Arabs, the one thing we learned that they respect more than anything else its strength. Strength and stability. The Arabs our business people first and they want riches and stability for their family and themselves and their country. They will side with the strongest tribe if it keeps the peace. The SUNI Arabs hate the Shia Iranians in power. They love Donald Trump because he represents the strongest tribe and they are aligning themselves with him and us because they know he will make them greater than they are today.

These people laughed at Biden and Obama because they were weak, but they embrace Trump because he is strong and represent stability.

Now 75 million Americans, including several in here, will say that I am in love with Trump and worshiping him, but I’m not. I was an anthropologist before I became a doctor. I understand a lot about culture, particularly this culture in the Arab world and they love Trump because he represents strength and the strongest tribe. And it’s a beautiful thing.

But even some of the Democrats are realizing how brilliant this trip has been.

Trump will use the military to get their criminal asses out of here

Login to view embedded media

I bet the Aggie fans love this…

Login to view embedded media