Tag: Alex Condon

Florida’s Alex Condon earns All-SEC freshman team honor

The last time a Florida front court player earned All-SEC freshman honors was the great Patric Young.

Florida basketball had a successful regular season despite a significant overhaul of the roster during the previous offseason, necessitating a mix of transfer portal players as well as younger contributors to move forward in Todd Golden’s second year as head coach.

Among those additions that helped put the Gators over the top was former three-star prospect [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag], a former Australian Rules Football player who crossed the Pacific to play for the Orange and Blue. The 6-foot-11-inch forward/center from Perth – who also played cricket and water polo as a youth — helped form a formidable frontcourt for Florida that was among the best in the nation when it comes to offensive rebounding.

As a result of his efforts during the 2023-24 campaign, he became the first Gators frontcourt player since 2011 to earn a spot on the All-SEC freshman team; Patric Young was the last to achieve the honor.

Condon appeared in all 31 of Florida’s games, averaging 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-best 1.2 blocks per game in 19.7 minutes per outing. He recorded double-digits on the scorecard in four of his final six games as well.

He finished the regular season ranked No. 167 in offensive rebounding and No. 100 in defensive rebounding rates in the nation, while also coming in at No. 128 in block percentage among all qualified Division I players.

Florida is a No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, giving it a first-round bye and matching the Gators up with the winner of Game 2 on Thursday, March 14, inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Tipoff is slated for a late 9:30 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Trio of top Gators discuss victory over LSU Tigers on Tuesday night

Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., Alex Condon and Tyrese Samuel spoke to the media after Tuesday night’s game.

The late-game woes continued for Florida basketball on Tuesday night, but fortunately, the Gators still prevailed with an 82-80 victory over the LSU Tigers inside the O’Connell Center. However, the team’s propensity for last-minute collapses has everyone at least a little bit concerned.

Even in the blowout over the Auburn Tigers, Todd Golden’s gang found a way to shave off half of its lead before the final horn. Had it not been for a game-closing disintegration against the Texas A&M Aggies, Florida would be riding a seven-game winning streak.

Nonetheless, results are results and the Gators are now 17-7 overall with a 7-4 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Three of the team’s top players — [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]., [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyrese Samuel[/autotag] — spoke with the media following the game; here is what they had to offer.

Todd Golden talks Arkansas win, matchup with Tennessee

Florida got back in the win column against Arkansas on Saturday, but Todd Golden is focused on keeping things going against Tennessee on Tuesday.

After starting SEC play 0-2, Florida notched its first conference win on Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gators don’t have much time to celebrate, though, as a matchup with No. 7 Tennessee looms.

The Orange and Blue head to Knoxville on Tuesday to face a team that throttled Ole Miss, and we all know how the Gators fared against the Rebels on the road.

Florida head coach Todd Golden spoke to the media on Monday, addressing what went right in the Arkansas game and what needs to happen to beat Tennessee. He also spent a considerable amount of time talking about freshman forward Alex Condon.

Here is everything he said.

Florida’s Alex Condon talks to press ahead of Tennessee Vols matchup

Florida’s standout freshman had a lot to say ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the formidable Tennessee Volunteers.

Florida basketball is off to a 1-2 start in Southeastern Conference competition but is riding high after a blowout win over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday inside the O’Connell Center. The next opponent, however, might be the toughest matchup so far for the Gators.

Todd Golden’s team, which is 11-5 overall two weeks deep into January, next travels to Rocky Top to take on the highly-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday. Florida has struggled away from home and has not been particularly sharp against top competition as well.

Ahead of the fourth SEC matchup for the Orange and Blue, freshman center [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag] spoke with the press about both the upcoming opponent as well as his experience so far as an Australian playing basketball abroad. Take a look below at what he had to offer.

Todd Golden speaks to media following road loss to Ole Miss, players also chime in

Here’s what Florida basketball coach Todd Golden had to say about the road loss to the Ole Miss Rebels

The Gators basketball squad took a pretty deep tumble on Wednesday night, losing its second consecutive conference game to Ole Miss, 103-85.

Florida’s defense fell apart early in the matchup and allowed the Rebels to record its first triple-digit game of the season. The free throw trips are still haunting the Gators while turnovers have been a consistent .50-caliber bullet to the foot in most contests.

Wednesday night was no different and the momentum Florida built throughout December is slowly becoming irrelevant.

Gators head coach Todd Golden briefly addressed the media during the post-game press conference and touched on what caused the team’s struggles against the Rebels on Wednesday night.

Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. also shares his thoughts after a big night on the stat sheet, along with forward Alex Condon who completed a double-double with 15 rebounds.

Florida forward among College Sports Wire’s under-the-radar freshmen

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton recognized the 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pound forward as one of the most underrated freshmen in the country.

Florida basketball is off to a strong start to the 2023-24 campaign with three wins in its first four tries — the only loss coming against the now-top-25 Virginia Cavaliers in Game 2. The Gators’ early success has hinged on recent acquisitions from both the recruiting trail and transfer portal finding their groove.

Among the standouts in the first couple of weeks of play is forward Alex Condon, a true freshman from the Land Down Under who has helped bolster Todd Golden’s frontcourt. So far, he has averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 boards and 2.3 assists in 31 minutes through four games.

As such, College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton recognized the 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pound forward as one of the top freshmen in the country who are currently flying under the radar.

“Condon is an Australian big man whom Todd Golden scooped up to back up Marshall transfer Micah Handlogten, and the results so far have been quite promising,” Patton notes. “Condon can space the floor and score around the rim and is an intriguing prospect to watch in the SEC.”

Next up for the Gators are the Pittsburgh Panthers, who they face in the first of two NIT Season Tip-Off tournament matchups held in Brooklyn, New York. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida basketball will keep up strong international recruiting under Golden

Florida basketball head coach Todd Golden is happy with his international pursuits so far and will continue recruiting abroad at UF.

The second year of the Todd Golden era is about to begin, and Florida’s men’s basketball roster looks completely different from the one that took the court a season ago.

A mass exodus of Mike White-recruited players left the team, either to pursue professional careers or via the transfer portal, and Golden brought in his own crop of talent. While the incoming transfers are domestic additions,  the freshman class is 50% international. And that’s a pattern that’s likely to stick while Golden is at the helm of Gators basketball.

At his SEC media day appearance on Wednesday, Golden said that Florida will continue international recruiting as long as he is there, according to Swamp247.

“You have a lot of guys who are focused and have a great understanding of why they’re coming over,” Golden said. “I think when you put those things together, it explains a lot. International players have done really well in our programs.”

Forward Aleks Szymczyk joined the team ahead of last season and worked his way into the rotation, and Australian center Alex Condon and Lithuanian guard Kajus Kublickas are this year’s additions.

Condon has set himself apart from the rest of the freshmen so far during workouts. With the season fast approaching, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get some early work in as Golden figures out his personnel.

If Condon is a success, Golden could dive even more headfirst into the international pool, especially considering the success of foreign players in the NBA.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida basketball welcomes two freshmen to campus

Florida’s basketball team welcomed a pair of freshman to campus on Monday for the summer semester. Welcome to the Swamp, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh!

The newest additions to the Florida Gators men’s basketball team have arrived on campus. Forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh are the two freshmen listed on the 2023-24 roster, and the team’s social media accounts posted a video of their arrival on Monday.

Condon hails from Perth, Australia, and has the height to play center at 6 feet-11 inches tall. He’s long and lanky like Colin Castleton was as an 18-year-old. Condon’s strength is defense right now, and he could play a significant role in Florida’s frontcourt rotation as a freshman. Think rim protector off the bench.

Haugh is another future frontcourt piece for Florida. He was a three-star recruit ranked No. 187 overall on the 2023 247Sports composite and No. 39 among power forwards.

Things will certainly look different in Gainesville next season. Todd Golden is returning just a handful of players, most of which are guards. Transfers and the additions of Condon and Haugh are supposed to replace the production lost, but nothing is ever guaranteed.

Getting those players on campus for the Summer A semester will give the new-look team a chance to develop together during workouts.

Guard Walter Clayton Jr., forward EJ Jarvics and centers Micah Handlogten and Tyrese Samuel are the new faces to know from the transfer portal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1365]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators add fourth transfer to men’s basketball team

Welcome to the Swamp, Tyrese Samuel! The former Seton Hall big man is headed to the Swamp for fifth and final year of collegiate eligibility.

After adding a pair of transfer players to the roster earlier in the week, the Florida men’s basketball team added former Seton Hall forward to [autotag]Tyrese Samuel[/autotag] on Sunday.

Samuel is a fifth-year player that saw success in 2022-23 after breaking into the starting rotation as a senior. The 6-foot-10-inch, 235-pound big man averaged 11 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season and should be a key piece of Florida’s frontcourt rotation in 2023-24.

The Gators have also added forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag], center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]., who should all compete for significant minutes if not starting spots on the team.

Samuel might play a similar role to [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag], providing some size off the bench.Samuel is a strong rebounder, espescially on the offensive glass and he’s also known to force a turnover or two in each game, be it a block or steal.

The recent departure of [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] — who declared for the 2023 NBA draft on Monday — could also mean that Samuel plays a starting role on the team. Jarvis and returner [autotag]Alek Szymczyk[/autotag] are the only expreienced forward big enough to play a traditional four. Freshmen [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag] and [autotag]Thomas Haugh[/autotag] might aslo fit the bill.

Samuel chose Florida over Wake Forest after taking an official visit to the Swamp over the weekend. Associate head coach Carlin Hartman was already familiar with Samuel from his time recruiting for the Oklahoma Sooners, and the two rekindled the relationship during an in-home visit a week before the official trip, according to 247Sports.

The coaching connection helped Samuel land on Florida, and now he’s all in on restoring glory to the Gators name.

“I want to show people how I’m able to play pretty versatile and also I want to win games,” Samuel said. “Winning games is the main thing and making the tournament. Not just making the tournament but making a deep run and trying to get as far as possible.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1738]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4-2346b84476bb420195db0f813431176e.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida basketball adds elite transfer portal C Micah Handlogten

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team have added a second player through the transfer portal, former Marshall center Micah Handlogten.

The second year of the (Todd) Golden Era at Florida will look a lot different from the first with the departures of three of the team’s most prominent big men, Colin Castleton, Jason Jitoboh and CJ Felder.

Replacing the production those three provided is no easy task, especially Castleton’s workload, but the Gators added a major piece of its new-look frontcourt on Monday with the commitment of former Marshall center Micah Handlogten. The 7-foot-1-inch big man chose Florida over Auburn and NC State after entering the portal as one of the top big-man transfers in the country.

His commitment comes fresh off a visit to the Swamp over the weekend. On3’s Joe Tipton spoke with Handlogten about the decision and learned that the visit was among the many reasons the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year chose Florida.

“I chose Florida because of the opportunity that the University holds,” Handlogten said. “They have an opening for a center to come in and play major minutes. After going on my visit, I mesh really well with the players and I love the coaches. I really think I can thrive under their coaching and become a pro at Florida.”

Handlogten is among the nation’s top shot blockers, which is something Florida fans have gotten used to with Castleton down low. Speaking of the now-former Gator, Castleton was a direct participant in Handlogten’s recruitment, according to Jacob Rudner of 247Sports. The two big men caught up during Handlogten’s recent visit, and Castleton sold the University of Florida to him.

Gainesville is certainly a good place for big men to thrive, and Handlogten has the numbers to warrant a starting role right away. He averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game as a freshman.

His conditioning should only improve, which means his playing time will too. Averaging a double-double seems attainable for him in his first season in the SEC.

Handlogten is the second transfer to join the Gators over the offseason. Former Yale forward EJ Jarvis is also committed to Florida, and the two could spend plenty of time on the court together next season.

Alex Fudge, Riley Kugel and Will Richard all figure to be major pieces for UF next season, and guard Denzel Aberdeen should get a chance to play more as a sophomore.

Alex Szymczyk is the other returning player on the roster, and freshmen Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon will join the team. That leaves four scholarship spots left for Florida to fill through the transfer portal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1365]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb-b15d3c6ba4832f51fd07f639374ba454.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.