Recent arrival Boogie Fland, transfer point guard from Arkansas, flips the heavy tire under watchful eye of strength/conditioning coordinator Victor Lopez during Friday morning's training session.

Every college program starts the preseason with championship aspirations, but only one achieved that goal last year, and that was the Gators. UF is bringing back only four players from the primary rotation that blazed through the Southeastern Conference Tournament with victories over three ranked opponents. That momentum carried them deep into the NCAA Tournament, where they secured four thrilling second-half comeback wins and triumphed over three top-10 teams, including defeating two No. 1 seeds en route to the Final Four. That celebrated team was powered by the senior guard trio: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr., alongside key perimeter threats Alijah Martin and Will Richard. In their final seasons, this group collectively accounted for 1,790 points—a massive 53% of the Gators' total scoring output.

Florida is expected to boast one of the nation's premier frontcourts in the 2025-26 season, thanks to the return of 6-foot-11 Chinyelu, 6-foot-11 Condon, 6-foot-9 Haugh, and 7-foot-1 senior Micah Handlogten. Consequently, much attention will be placed on the development of the rebuilt backcourt. The Gators will look to two transfer guards—Boogie Fland (from Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (from Princeton)—to immediately provide offensive firepower. Of the players returning to the perimeter, only junior Urban Klavžar (3.2 points per game) logged significant minutes last year, primarily during a period of midseason injuries. Klavžar played just 18 minutes in the NCAA Tournament, with all but five of those coming in the 26-point rout of Norfolk State in the first round.

The departures of Clayton, Martin, and Richard open substantial opportunities for Klavžar, as well as returning sophomore wing Isaiah Brown. The Gators also added junior wing AJ Brown, a transfer from Ohio U and Isaiah’s older brother, but he is not yet cleared for contact after undergoing shoulder surgery following the 2024-25 season. Freshmen CJ Ingram (from Hawthorne, Florida) and Alex Lloyd (from Fort Lauderdale, Florida) complete the list of newcomers.

Two returning players, sophomore forward Viktor Mikic and 7-foot-9 walk-on center Olivier Rioux, have not yet returned to campus. They are currently playing with international teams in their respective home countries of Serbia and Canada.

Despite these absences, the team's core nucleus is present in Gainesville and deeply involved in the crucial summer workload.

Junior guard Urban Klavzar doing sandbag squats. 

“Individual player growth is a massive priority during the summer, but these six or seven weeks together also give us a crucial chance to start shaping the unit into a functional team,” stated Gators coach Todd Golden. At 39, Golden became the youngest coach in 42 years to claim a national championship, achieving the feat in just his third season leading the Florida program. "We have an excellent core foundation with the returning players, but this time is essential for getting the new guys fully integrated and up to speed."

Fland, a 2024 McDonald’s All-American from the Bronx, New York, posted averages of 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, shooting 34% from three-point range over 21 games during his freshman year with the Razorbacks. Although a broken finger sidelined him for 15 games, he is now completely healthy and has demonstrated his shooting ability to his new teammates. His skills as a distributor will become more apparent when scrimmaging begins later in the summer.

“Coach Golden sets a clear standard, and we are here to meet it,” said Fland, who is the first McDonald’s All-American to join the UF roster in five years. “I’m thrilled to be here and excited to be part of this program.”

Like Fland, Lee is a highly capable combo guard whose numbers were even stronger: 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 37% from distance. However, Lee achieved these stats in the Ivy League, meaning he faces a significant step up in competition against the SEC. His time in the gym now is key preparation, but Lee expresses great confidence in his ability.

Judging by his movement, ball-handling, and shooting form, that confidence is well-founded.

“I know many people are wondering, ‘How will he perform against tougher competition?’ But for me, the exciting part is getting to play alongside many more talented and athletic guys,” said Lee, a Toronto native who played a year of prep school in Pennsylvania with teammate Haugh. “I’m genuinely excited about this. I took part in some [NBA] pre-draft activities last year, which gave me experience playing with guys from the high-major level. I am coming in confident, eager to find out exactly how successful I can be.”

The team's transition extends to the coaching staff, which lost both offensive and defensive coordinators—Kevin Hovde and John Andrzejek—to new head-coaching opportunities. How the remaining staff integrates two naturally ball-dominant point guards will be one of the most fascinating themes to watch this summer and throughout the entire 2025-26 season.

Equally important will be the organic emergence of team leaders. The obvious choices among the returning players are the incumbent frontcourt veterans: Haugh, Condon, Chinyelu, and Handlogten.

Following the team's initial practice last week, it was Chinyelu who stepped forward to address the media.

"We have guys here who have championship experience and know the process needed for success," Chinyelu said. "Now, our focus must be on enjoying every moment, being fully present, and treating every single practice repetition like it's a game situation. This is the starting point, and it begins immediately. As long as we remain present and approach each day like it's game day, we are going to enjoy the results. I am ready to go to war with my brothers."

Yes, it is a new collective unit, a point their Friday platoon leader, Major Ulysses Sosa, made clear. Sosa reminded the players that when this season begins, absolutely nobody will care about the Gators' accomplishments from the previous year.

In fact, before dismissing the team, Sosa shared a historical anecdote. He brought up an image of the Vikings (the historical figures, not the football team). Sosa explained that when the Vikings landed in a new territory, their purpose wasn't to establish friendly relations; it was to dominate and conquer. To drive the point home, the Vikings would intentionally set their ships ablaze.

"No going back," Sosa declared.

The message was clear: Gators, your sole focus must be on the 2025-26 season.

"I agree completely—100 percent. No one outside of here cares what we achieved last year," said Haugh. "As a group, we celebrated that victory, and now we've transitioned to a new season where every opponent will be desperate to defeat us. We must match that hunger. This process begins right here."

To contact Senior Writer Chris Harry, please email him at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.