Three Florida Gators heard their names called during the 2025 NBA draft, and there’s a good chance the same thing happens next June during the 2026 draft.
With college basketball season finally underway, the 2026 draft cycle has officially begun. The Athletic took a shot at an early mock draft, and it’s no surprise to see which Gators are included in this year’s potential draft pool — forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh and guard Boogie Fland.
All three tested the draft waters a year ago, with Condon being the most likely to depart the college ranks. However, a borderline first-round projection wasn’t good enough for the Australian native, and he opted to return to Florida for his junior year. A preseason All-American nod from USA TODAY Sports places him among the best big men in the country, but he’ll have to earn back some of the draft stock lost while injured down the stretch last season.
Thomas Haugh | 6-9 wing | 22 years old
However, it’s Haugh that gets the first-round grade from The Athletic, checking in at No. 17 in the mock draft. Haugh stepped up with Condon, slightly hobbled and was a major catalyst for Florida during the national championship run. While many considered Walter Clayton Jr. the spark that led the team to the title, Haugh’s defensive versatility and clutch shooting — both at the line and beyond the arc — propelled several of the comeback wins Florida completed in March.
“By the end of last season, I thought Haugh was the second-best player on the national title-winning Florida Gators.” Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said. “He was a serious mismatch issue for teams … His ability to shoot at 6-foot-9 provided major value, along with his presence athletically on the defensive end and his passing ability at the top of the key.”
Vecenie pegs Haugh as a future “NBA rotation player,” assuming he improves his off-ball defense. Florida head coach Todd Golden echoed that sentiment after Haugh’s 27-point season debut.
“The great thing about T is that he’s a winning player,” Golden said. You can put him anywhere on the floor and he’s going to impact the game positively. He’s a great teammate. Obviously, he’s an elite-conditioned athlete … Listen, this guy is going to help us win a lot of games this year, and he’s going to end up helping an NBA team win a lot of games after that.”
Whether Haugh gets the first-round call or not depends on the long season ahead, but he’s put himself in a strong position and doesn’t appear to be slowing down as a junior.
Boogie Fland | 6-2 guard | 19 years old
Fland is the next Gator on The Athletic’s mock at No. 41. ESPN gave him a similar grade during the last cycle, putting him at No. 42 in its mock draft. A one-spot increase after deciding to return to college would be disheartening, but Fland’s ceiling is very high.
The former five-star recruit ranked inside the top 10 of this year’s transfer portal class after averaging 15.1 points and 5.7 assists through 18 games as a true freshman with Arkansas. He also shot 35.5% from 3-point range. All the pieces of an elite guard are there, and USA TODAY Sports thinks of him as a potential top-10 draft pick kind of player.
There’s some rust to shake off. Fland wasn’t at his best against Arizona on Monday, but Golden believes that he’ll only improve as the season progresses. Remember, he missed most of SEC play last year with a thumb injury. That likely slowed his offseason down, as did an undisclosed injury that Fland was cleared of before the season-opener.
“Boogie didn’t have a turnover tonight,” Golden said on Monday. “I thought he did a good job on the offensive end, taking care of the ball and putting us into some good spots. We did not finish at the rim very well. I think that was the biggest issue for our backcourt … Boogie is going to make a shot or two that he missed. I’m not concerned about it moving forward. I think both of those guys are good players.”
Alex Condon | 6-11 forward | 21 years old
It’s a bit shocking to see Condon at No. 50 on this list. As mentioned above, this was a player who got first-round grades through most of last season. A lower-body injury slowed him down over the final two months of the season, but Florida does not win a national championship without its star big.
Condon is a 7-footer who fits the mold of a modern NBA big. He might not be Nikola Jokic, but Condon holds his own defensively and on the boards. Most importantly, he has the passing and shooting touch to have the offense run through him. If Colin Castleton made it to the NBA, Condon should have no problems.
The question is whether or not he regains some of the goodwill lost during the injury. Monday’s season opener was not the best start. Condon fouled out with 2:20 left in the game, and Florida could have used him to pull off the comeback win. His 3-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe leaves something to be desired, but he’s a nightly double-double threat when not in foul trouble — Condon finished Monday with 11 points and eight rebounds.
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