Florida basketball didn’t just survive the 2025 transfer portal–it owned it.
While some programs scrambled to rebuild their rosters, the Gators played the long game. Head coach Todd Golden didn’t need a desperate overhaul.
Florida kept all four of its versatile big men from last year’s national title run: Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten.
Then came the late fireworks. The Gators landed Boogie Fland, one of the most coveted guards in the country, prying him away from the Arkansas Razorbacks. Pairing him with Xaivian Lee, the high-IQ Princeton transfer, gives Florida a backcourt that’s as dangerous as any in college basketball.
Along with Fland and Lee, Florida was also able to reel in Ohio transfer guard AJ Brown. Brown averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds last year for the Bobcats.
CBS Sports’ David Cobb praised the Gators’ approach and labeled them as a winner in terms of transfer portal additions.
Here is everything Cobb wrote about Florida and how they ‘keep it clean’ in the transfer portal.
Why CBS Sports labels Florida as a winner
“Florida kept the players they felt like were worth keeping and added where they wanted to add without having to do anything too drastic. That’s how things should be for high-end programs with recent national-title banners…
“Florida made its big splash late by landing highly touted Arkansas guard Boogie Fland to pair with Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee in the back court. Of equal importance, the Gators retained their four-man rotation of diverse bigs from last season’s title team.”
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