Aussie Condon bails on NBA draft, returning to UF

Australian big man Alex Condon will withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft and return to Florida for his junior season, he told ESPN on Tuesday.

"It's a really good situation waiting for me there," Condon said. "A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My big man coach, Carlin Hartman, is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him."

Condon, the No. 38 prospect in ESPN's draft projections, played an integral role in Florida's national championship run this year and will have a major say in the Gators' hopes of repeating next season.

"It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon said. "We're not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. Get back to Gainesville, share in some hardship through hard work in the summer, and get used to playing with each other. Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team."

Condon was named third-team All-SEC after averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game.

He helped Florida to a 36-4 record, including 12 straight wins to end the season to secure the SEC tournament title and then cut down the nets in San Antonio. He had a memorable performance in the national championship game, posting 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals against Houston, diving on the floor for a loose ball in the final seconds to seal the 65-63 victory.

"This was a surreal season," Condon told ESPN. "There was so much depth on this team, and we all played unselfishly. A lot of guys stepped up in big moments. We had a great team, and that's the reason we won the championship."

The Perth, Australia-born big man was an afterthought in Florida's 2024 high school recruiting class, a late bloomer who started playing serious organized basketball at age 16. Prior to that, he favored cricket, water polo and especially Australian rules football.

"My parents put me in a lot of sports," Condon said. "That was good for developing my hand-eye coordination. Playing football helped me develop my toughness. I didn't come to Florida with too many expectations. The coaching staff bet on me, and I wanted to reward them by playing as hard as I could. Coach Golden gave me the opportunity to play as a freshman, which helped my transition to this year, where I played with more confidence and became an important part of the team."

The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Condon said he worked out privately for eight NBA teams before electing to return and spent five weeks in Irvine, California, preparing for the draft.

"I learned a lot about myself," Condon said. "Isolating my game and getting with trainers every day, learning how to be consistent. My jumper has improved immensely with how much work I've put into that. My overall offensive package will be on display more at Florida next season."

Golden will have a strong claim for the preseason No. 1 ranking after also returning starting center Rueben Chinyelu and sixth man Thomas Haugh, who is expected to transition into the starting small forward position next season.

The Gators added two of the top guards in the transfer portal in Princeton's Xaivian Lee and Arkansas' Boogie Fland, as well as Ohio's AJ Brown, in addition to two top-40 high school recruits in CJ Ingram (No. 21 in ESPN 100) and Alex Lloyd (No. 36 in ESPN 100). Seven-foot-1 senior big man Micah Handlogten will play an important reserve role, along with junior Slovenian guard Urban Klavzar.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and International teams.