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Todd Golden and the fifth-ranked Florida Gators will close out their regular season on Saturday evening and honor 3 senior guards who have been instrumental in transforming the Gators back into a national title contender. Ahead of Senior Day, though, Golden spoke glowingly of a sophomore (and his roommate) who has been just as influential on the Gators’ success.
During an appearance on SiriusXM with Mike Krzyzewski, Golden recalled a recruiting trip to scout Rueben Chinyelu. The NBA Academy from Africa was playing a showcase event in Las Vegas and Chinyelu’s team was facing off against an NBA Global Academy team that featured Alex Condon.
An Australian forward from Perth, Condon immediately impressed Golden. The Florida head coach asked around and found out his alma mater was recruiting Condon.
“If Saint Mary’s is recruiting this guy, he’s good enough for us,” Golden recalled telling his staff.
Fast forward 2 years and Condon has become a starter for the best Florida team in years. In 27 appearances this year, Condon is averaging 11.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 25.1 minutes a night.
“Him and Tommy Haugh, both roommates, both super undervalued recruits, but I think those 2 guys will be 2 players we look back on as guys that really changed our culture at Florida,” Golden said. “Getting them into our program, guys that were so excited to be a part of it. … They’re both really, really good players. I think Alex has a chance to play in the NBA for sure and I do believe his best basketball will be in front of him.”
The Gators (26-4, 13-4 SEC) host Ole Miss (21-9, 10-7) on Saturday. Florida is locked into the 2-seed in the SEC Tournament regardless of what happens in the game. The Rebels could range anywhere from fourth to eighth depending on their result and others across the league. (Every scenario is explained here.)
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
