With Florida bringing in a talented group of frontcourt players in the transfer portal, the expectation was that some combination of Tyrese Samuel, Micah Handlogten, and EJ Jarvis would make up not only Florida’s starting frontcourt, but play a bulk of the frontcourt minutes. Samuel comes to Florida by way of Seton Hall where he spent four years battling with some of the best big men in the country in arguably the NCAA’s toughest league. Jarvis is another fifth year college player whose versatile skill set and size makes him a capable power forward or center. Handlogten is only in his second season, but his ridiculous rebounding and blocked shots rate has Florida’s coaches salivating.
This group eating up most of the minutes at the four and five positions might have been the assumption heading into camp but as of now with teams finally able to use a full week’s practice schedule–there might be a bit of a shakeup.
Enter Alex Condon, the Australian freshman who came to Gainesville from the NBA Academy in Australia.
At the time Florida landed his commitment, there wasn’t a lot of buzz for the former Australian Rules Football star who only recently decided he was going to focus on basketball. There was some buzz in his recruitment from Saint Mary’s, a team notorious for their recruitment of Australian talent, but his offer list suggested a player that was more of a project than someone who could be expected to contribute right away.
Committing to Florida got Condon a lot more eyes on his game, and as people saw his high motor, natural touch, and foot speed for a player around 6’11”–suddenly he was gaining some steam as a prospect.
Since coming to Florida, Condon has been the pleasant surprise of not only any media member that has been at camp, but the Gators’ coaching staff. When Condon first came to camp it was all about development, without much expectation that he’d be a contributor as a freshman. However, the conversation quickly went from “we just need to develop him,” to “actually, he could play a regular shift in our rotation,” the the conversation they’re having now:
“We think Condon might start.”
In addition to the buzz behind the scenes, Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney weighed in publicly on what he was hearing:
Lots of excitement at Florida about Australian freshman big Alex Condon. NBA Academy product could push for a starting spot in the Gators frontcourt despite a talented incoming transfer group. https://t.co/OhVoLyb8ZA
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) September 27, 2023
This speaks not only to Condon’s natural ability, but also the work ethic he has shown to both the weight room and the court since coming to Florida. Condon’s game has always been about his high work rate and mobility for a 6’11” frame. However, since coming to Florida coaches have been extremely high on his passing ability within the offense and his ability to knock down an open jump shot–something that has them seeing the possibility of Condon starting in the frontcourt alongside a true center.
Golden has been open about his desire to play two true big men when possible, something he wasn’t able to do in his first season in Gainesville. This had a lot of people suspecting that Tyrese Samuel and Micah Handlogten would start next to each other, though the fit was somewhat in question. Samuel, the presumed most secure starter, has shown flashes of shooting ability though you would not classify him as a stretch big. Defensively he can guard inside as well as on the perimeter, something that makes him best at the center position where he can be involved in pick and rolls defensively. Handlogten is still young, and while he moves decently on the perimeter he’s not quite ready to switch onto guards and his skinny frame was a problem at the Sun Belt level–something he’s working on, but not yet a concern he has solved.
This opened up the possibility for someone else to start in the frontcourt, with EJ Jarvis being a natural solution. 6’8”, has some skill with the ball, can shoot, a veteran from the Ivy League–it made sense. However, Jarvis has had to step away from the team for unspecified personal reasons, taking away his ability to compete for that starting spot.
With the uncertainty regarding the synergy of a Samuel-Handlogten frontcourt and Jarvis being away from the team, Condon has fully inserted himself into the conversation as a potential starter. If this were the case the Gators would be bringing both talent and experience off the bench, with whoever it would be–something Florida hasn’t been able to do in years.
Even if Condon doesn’t end up starting, just the fact that he’s in the conversation speaks to the potential diamond in the rough the Gators found in Australia, and if he is truly a talent that might be worth starting that comes off the bench–the Gators have themselves an awfully deep roster.