Alex Condon and the Florida Gators, coming off a national championship win one year ago, didn’t have the 2025-26 college basketball season they were hoping for. After finishing the regular season with a 26-7 record and 16-2 in SEC play, Florida earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but it was upset in the second round by the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes, ending its March Madness run early.
Condon proved to be one of the top players in the country during his third season with the Gators. Appearing in 34 games, the junior forward from Perth, Washington, averaged 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.5 minutes per game, all career highs. However, while Condon has already revealed that he will be returning to Gainesville for his senior year, another Florida player could be on his way out.
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Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21).Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Rueben Chinyelu, a 6-foot-10 center out of NBA Academy Africa (South Africa), was a four-star prospect in the recruiting class of 2023 (247Sports). He ranked as the No. 128 overall prospect in his class, along with the 19th-best center and the top recruit from South Africa. After receiving numerous offers from major programs, Chinyelu elected to begin his college career with the Washington State Cougars.
Chinyelu spent one season with Washington State before transferring to Florida ahead of the 2024-25 season. And he earned a major role in the Gators’ national championship squad, starting at center in all 40 games. This year, Chinyelu remained Florida’s starting center, averaging 10.9 points on 58.4% shooting, 11.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game.
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But on Monday, Chinyelu took to social media to announce that he will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, while still maintaining his college eligibility and leaving the door open for a return to Florida.
“With that being said, I am declaring for the NBA Draft, while maintaining my college eligibility to return to the University of Florida, if I decide to withdraw,” Chinyelu wrote on Instagram. “Forever grateful always!!”
Condon reacted to his teammate’s NBA Draft decision by sharing a humorous, face-filter meme in the comments section.
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While Condon is set to return to Florida next season, many fans are still awaiting Thomas Haugh’s next career move, hoping to see the Gators’ top scorer run it back one more time.
Related: Duke’s Cameron Boozer Reacts to Career Announcement on Monday
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.