Entering his fifth offseason in Gainesville, Todd Golden could have his best roster yet

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A crushing loss, deep friendships, timely advice and NIL opportunity brought All-SEC forward Thomas Haugh back to Florida.

This combination delivered an offseason windfall for men’s basketball coach Todd Golden’s Gators.

Haugh’s return followed a similar decision by Alex Condon, a preseason All-America forward, Haugh’s roommate and close friend.

“Alex and Tommy have an incredibly tight relationship; they’ve been very close for four years,” Golden said. “That definitely played a part in it.”

Golden, meanwhile, shut down speculation about his future after a report linked him to the Warriors as the organization evaluates its long-term direction.

“I’m definitely planning on coaching the Gators,” Golden said.



Entering his fifth offseason in Gainesville, Golden could have has his best roster yet — one that could improve further.

This hinges on 6-foot-10, 265-pound center Rueben Chinyelu, who is exploring professional options, including a trip to the NBA Scouting Combine. Chinyelu led all power-conference players with an average of 11.2 rebounds, set a school-record with 19 double-doubles, and was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

With or without Chinyelu, Florida’s core is formidable.

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