March 18, 2026, 1:25 p.m. ET
The Florida Gators are looking to repeat as men’s basketball national champions, but the list of headlining players looks a little different than last season’s NCAA Tournament title run.
During the 2025 edition of March Madness, the hottest names on Todd Golden’s roster were found in the backcourt — point guard Walter Clayton Jr., shooting guard Alijah Martin and swingman Will Richard were the constant focus of Florida’s opponents as well as the media.
This time around, it is a packed frontcourt consisting of small forward Thomas Haugh, power forward Alex Condon and center Rueben Chinyelu who are getting most of the attention. And for good reason, as the Gators have arguably the best front three of any team in the nation heading into the Big Dance.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the trio was included among the top 50 players in the tournament by ESPN. Chinyelu checks in at No. 36 on the list, while Condon is ranked at No. 21 and Haugh comes in at No. 14. Here is what authors Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf had to say about their inclusions.
Rueben Chinyelu (No. 36)
“Chinyelu is in the running for National Defensive Player of the Year, leading efforts on that end of the court for a Florida team that’s top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency,” Medcalf notes.
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“At 6-foot-10, opponents have registered an adjusted offensive efficiency of just 82 points per 100 possessions against him — the equivalent of UConn’s subpar production in a 20-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East tournament championship. The junior is averaging career highs in scoring (11.2) and rebounding (11.5).”
Alex Condon (No. 21)
“For all the talk about how Condon has taken a step back from last season, the Aussie big man is third in KenPom’s SEC Player of the Year ranking and averaging career highs in scoring (15.0), rebounding (7.7) and assists (3.5) while shooting nearly 55% from the field,” Borzello offers.
“He has been as productive as any frontcourt player in the SEC since the start of February in particular, averaging more than 18 points and shooting nearly 63% from the field over the latest stretch.”
Thomas Haugh (No. 14)
“Haugh was an important part of the rotation for Florida’s national title run last season. Now, he’s the Gators’ top scorer (17.1), nearly doubling his offensive output from a season ago (9.8),” Medcalf notes.
“He has made 59% of his shots around the rim, according to Synergy Sports, and has scored 20 or more points in five games over a 12-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament semifinals.”
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