Todd Golden ‘thrilled’ to have Alex Condon back after some worries
When he met with reporters last Wednesday, Florida coach Todd Golden was “cautiously optimistic” about starting forward Alex Condon returning for his junior season. Nonetheless, Golden still a sense of relief once Condon officially withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft on Tuesday.
Despite his expectations for Condon coming back, Golden admits he had some worries about him turning pro. As his decision came down to the wire, Condon worked out with multiple teams after competing in the 2025 NBA Combine. Ultimately, he decided on another year with the Gators.
“Really thrilled to get him back. He’s had a great process. He got great feedback from some teams,” Golden said at SEC Spring Meetings, via the Orlando Sentinel. “We were worried there for a little bit that he would stay in.”
RELATED: Alex Condon returns to Florida Gators, withdrawing from NBA Draft
Condon had received mostly second-round projections and was included late in the first round of a couple mock drafts. Golden’s cautious optimism about him coming back stemmed from their talks about where he wants to get selected in order to remain in draft.
Condon previously told ESPN that if he got confirmation from an NBA team that it would pick him in the top 15-30 range, he would consider turning pro. With the 2025 NBA Draft not until June 25, Golden noted that getting a guarantee like that is uncommon for prospects.
“There’s still a month until the NBA draft, so any prospect to get a promise this far in advance would be really unique,” Golden said.
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Condon earned second-team All-SEC honors last season and averaged 10.7 points, leading Florida with 7.5 rebounds and 49 blocks along with 2.2 assists per game. He scored in double figure 19 times and recorded seven double-doubles.
Condon etched himself into UF history when he dove on the loose ball at the end of national championship game to secure a turnover, capping his 12-point, seven-rebound, four-steal performance to help the Gators win the 2025 title.
Golden noted that Condon didn’t have a financial incentive to make an early jump to the NBA thanks to Florida Victorious.
“One of the huge benefits of the NIL world, you don’t have to sacrifice for maybe a tough of a fiscal decision between going pro or staying now,” Golden said. “Fortunately, he’s positioned himself nicely that way.”
