Return of Chinyelu, Condon key for Florida basketball's next season

Now that the NCAA Tournament is over and a new national champion has been crowned, it may feel premature, but it is as good a time as any to start looking forward to Florida basketball's 2026-27 campaign. Already, the sports world is feeling bullish on the Gators' upcoming season, with ESPN putting the Orange and Blue at No. 3 and USA TODAY Sports at No.

4 in their respective way-too-early rankings released just after the final horn sounded. However, these projections are predicated on the assumption that two of Florida's major contributors return to Gainesville for their senior seasons. Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon are the two players in question.

Both have pro potential and will be testing the waters in the upcoming NBA draft. Last year, Condon withdrew from the draft and returned to Florida when his stock did not rise high enough, and that could be the case again this year; Chinyelu is coming off a monster year defensively, but is still maturing in his offensive game. Suffice it to say, the loss of either or both of them would punch a major hole in Todd Golden's roster and would most certainly change the overall outlook for the program next fall.

However, in CBS Sports writer Cameron Salerno's look at the 15 most important stay-or-go decisions that will define college basketball's offseason, the dynamic duo did not crack the top of the list, but Condon did earn an honorable mention. "Condon and his teammate Rueben Chinyelu will be the top retention options for coach Todd Golden. Florida's strength over the last two years was its frontcourt," Salerno states.