GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Just hours after returning from a whirlwind championship celebration in Washington, Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden met with media Thursday morning for his first offseason check-in since the Gators were honored at the Orange & Blue Game on April 12.

The past six weeks have been packed with high-profile moments—from receiving the Winged Foot Award in New York to tossing a ceremonial pitch at Wrigley Field and visiting the White House, including a meeting with President Trump. But amid the celebrations, Golden and his staff have been focused on reshaping a roster that lost its top three scorers: Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. They’re also awaiting word on NBA prospect Alex Condon’s decision.

The Gators added a trio of transfer guards, with Boogie Fland officially joining the program this week earlier in the week after submitting his enrollment paperwork. The sophomore point guard from Arkansas—Florida’s first McDonald’s All-American in six years—is expected to pair with Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee to form a potent backcourt duo.

Junior center Rueben Chinyelu, who started every game last season, made his return to the team official earlier this week. Junior forward earlier in the week, Thomas Haugh who averaged 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds off the bench, is slated to step into the starting role at the wing spot previously held by Richard.

Offseason workouts begin June 9, with a focus on building chemistry and introducing new offensive concepts.

Golden also addressed several key topics during his media availability, including:

*On the pairing of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee in Florida’s backcourt:

Head coach Todd Golden expressed enthusiasm about the offensive potential of two ball-dominant guards—Boogie Fland, who posted 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 21 games at Arkansas despite injuries, and Xaivian Lee, who averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 36.6% from three at Princeton.

“To have two guys that can play so well with the ball in their hands, they make plays for themselves, but also for others really, really well,” Golden said. “They both have great assist rates. They both take care of the ball really well. When you have two point guards that are out there making plays, I think it makes your offense really dynamic. So we're excited.”

Golden added that both guards will be heavily involved in initiating the offense, playing out of ball screens and pushing in transition—“weapons that teams are going to have to account for.”

*On Alex Condon’s NBA draft status and potential return:

Florida forward Alex Condon, who averaged 10.6 points and led the team with 7.5 rebounds last season, remains undecided about his junior year as the NBA draft withdrawal deadline approaches on May 28. At 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds, Condon has been participating in workouts and combine events with professional teams.

“We’ve had good conversations with Alex. We’ve been really respectful of his process, and he’s been great in terms of communicating with us,” said head coach Todd Golden. “I’m cautiously optimistic… He’s getting great workouts [with] teams. He’s looked good in different combine events.”

Golden added, “I think we’ll find out, my hope is on the 27th, the day before the deadline, and I’m hoping for good news for the Gators. But I love Condo regardless… He obviously was really impactful in us winning the national championship. So we’re grateful for him.”

*On the addition of transfer guard AJ Brown:

Florida head coach Todd Golden shared his thoughts on AJ Brown, who joins the Gators after averaging 13.2 points per game at Ohio during the 2024–25 season. Brown shot 47% from the field and nearly 39% from three-point range before undergoing shoulder surgery. He is also the older brother of current UF guard Isaiah Brown.

“AJ’s a guy that’s kind of flown under the radar a little bit… dealing with the shoulder injury he had surgery on before we signed him,” Golden said. “He’s just really an efficient scorer. A guy that can finish from 2, really shot the ball well from 3 last year.”

Golden emphasized Brown’s fit within Florida’s evolving lineup: “As we’re kind of putting the pieces to this puzzle together, [he] will provide a scoring punch for us and a guy that can make shots… Just an efficient, effective scorer, a guy that’s done it for a couple years and a guy that really wanted to be here. As you guys know, that’s really important to me.”

*On including outgoing transfers in the White House visit:

Florida head coach Todd Golden emphasized the importance of honoring the full championship roster, including Denzel Aberdeen (now at Kentucky) and  Sam Alexis (now at Indiana), during the team’s celebratory trip to Washington.

“We wanted them to be part of it. They were part of our team. Both guys gave us great impact in terms of winning the national championship,” Golden said. “We’re not petty. We appreciate everything they’ve done for us… and their teammates wanted them there.”

Golden described the moment as a fitting send-off: “It was kind of the cherry on top for that group… for them to be back together one last time, so I thought it was really special.”

Acknowledging the evolving nature of college basketball, Golden added, “College is changing. That’s just the bottom line… We were just proud that we could provide that opportunity for them… and they took us up on it.”

He closed with a wink to future competition: “I know they had a great time with their former teammates, and we’re still going to try to kick Kentucky’s ass next year, but those guys deserve it.”

On the addition of assistant coach Dave Klatsky and staff updates:

Florida head coach Todd Golden addressed recent changes to his coaching staff, including the hiring of Dave Klatsky from Division II New York University and the promotion of Jonathan Safir to full-time assistant. Klatsky compiled a 68–16 record and captured two University Athletic Association titles in three seasons at NYU, following prior success at Colgate.

“I’ve known Dave for a long time,” Golden said. “I’m sure you guys know the relationship between Coach Hovde — Dave’s sister and Coach Hovde are married — so a little bit of a family affair there. My father and Dave’s father actually went to law school together back in the ’70s at Emory. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

Golden praised Klatsky’s coaching pedigree and familiarity with Florida’s system: “He had great success at Colgate with Matt Langel, and obviously just crushed it at NYU… We want to bring in some of our guys that have a good understanding of how we like to operate. He knows our program well… So we feel like it’s going to be a seamless transition that way.”

He added, “A guy that had great success as a head coach. I think he will be a very good replacement for Kevin and John.”

Email senior writer Chris Harry at  chrish@gators.ufl.edu