College Basketball Preseason Rankings: No. 3 Florida Gators

Top-25 College Basketball: Florida Projected Roster & Outlook

In this series, we'll be taking a closer look at RotoWire's preseason college basketball top-25, with an in-depth roster analysis and projected rotation for the 2025-26 season for each team. Today's feature will be the Florida Gators.

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.

3. Florida

Last year's National Champions will have a lot of work to do to replace their incredibly productive backcourt of Walter Clayton Jr. (18.3 PPG), Alijah Martin (14.4 PPG) and Will Richard (13.3 PPG). While all three were very strong, Clayton was the heart and soul that just willed this team in March to some games they probably shouldn't have won. 

That said, Florida arguably did have the deepest frontcourt in the country, and that will be largely unchanged going into the 2025-26 season. Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Micah Handlogten are all expected to return, which makes this Florida team incredibly difficult to attack on the defensive end. I would also expect Condon and Haugh in particular to take some big leaps in their offensive games. 

Coach Todd Golden was able to add three guards in the transfer portal to help in the backcourt. The biggest prize was Boogie Fland, who is returning for his sophomore season after showing a ton of potential as a freshman at Arkansas. Fland has a lot of Clayton in his game as a big shot-maker capable of scoring all over the floor and a strong passer off the pick-and-roll. 

Xaivian Lee will be another ball-handler to help Fland, as he is coming off a junior season with Princeton in which he filled that stat sheet on a nightly basis and logged two triple-doubles. Lee is a quality shooter as well if he needs to play off-ball. 

AJ Brown should have a good chance to land at the three spot as a 39 percent shooter from deep last season with Ohio. CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd are the two freshman recruits Golden brings in and both should be able to find a role in the backcourt. 

The size and championship experience that is bringing brought back makes the Gators a legit threat to go back-to-back like they did in 2006-07.

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

2025-26 Florida Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Boogie Fland (13.5 PPG, 5.1 APG at Arkansas)

SG: Xaivian Lee (16.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.4 APG at Princeton)

SF: AJ Brown (13.2 PPG, 1.9 3PM at Ohio)

PF: Alex Condon (10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 BPG)

C: Rueben Chinyelu (6.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG)

Key Reserves: Thomas Haugh (9.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG), Micah Handlogten (2.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG), CJ Ingram (No. 21 in ESPN 100), Alex Lloyd (No. 36 in ESPN 100), Urban Klavzar (3.2 PPG), Isaiah Brown (1.9 PPG), Olivier Rioux (Redshirted)

Following another active transfer portal period, RotoWire's college basketball depth charts are updated with the latest in roster movement.

2025-26 Full Preseason College Basketball Top-25

1. Coming Soon
2. Coming Soon
3. Coming Soon
4. Florida Gators
5. St. John's Red Storm
6. Duke Blue Devils
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Michigan Wolverines
9. BYU Cougars
10. UConn Huskies
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders
12. Auburn Tigers
13. Arkansas Razorbacks
14. UCLA Bruins
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
16. Iowa State Cyclones
17. Arizona Wildcats
18. Michigan State Spartans
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
23. Oregon Ducks
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Wisconsin Badgers