Alex Condon withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft, will return to Florida

The Florida basketball team has returned a number of pieces from its national championship squad, but perhaps none bigger than the latest. Alex Condon announced he will withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and return to school for another season.

Condon had been projected as a potential first-round pick, though he wasn’t considered to be a lottery pick. And that might have been the difference in him returning.

At the very least, it’s something he had talked about with coach Todd Golden ahead of making his final decision. The third-year Florida coach opened up on that recently.

“You’ve got a guy like Condo who’s a great prospect, and for him it’s more of like, ‘Do you want to maybe come back and potentially be a lottery guy next year?’” Golden said. “These are the kinds of conversations we’re having with these different guys.”

That conversation ultimately worked in Florida’s favor, as Alex Condon opted to return for a third season. He’ll instantly help anchor Florida’s frontcourt again.

It’s a frontcourt that might be the best in America based on what’s returning. Condon is perhaps the key cog, but the Gators will also return starting center Rueben Chinyelu, who also withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft.

Back, too, is small forward Thomas Haugh, who can play multiple positions in the frontcourt. He can really stretch the floor, too, giving Florida some real versatility. He paired excellently with Alex Condon throughout the run to the national championship.

For his part, Condon was very productive. He averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game en route. He also chipped in 2.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, showing a well-balanced game. He can also shoot from the perimeter, knocking down 19 3-pointers on a 32.8% clip from downtown. Not too shabby for a 6-foot-11 big man.

Alex Condon had previously discussed his looming decision on the NBA Draft. He sounded comfortable with a potential return to Florida.

“I gotta get that almost guaranteed [to stay in draft],” Condon said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney. “I know I’m in that 20 to 35 range right now but you know, I’ve got a good situation waiting for me at Florida. It has to be a good situation for me to stay [in draft], but feedback I’m getting from teams right now is positive and I’m ready to stay in if I need to.”

Ultimately, the talented big man decided he’d be best served by returning for another year. So Florida gets a huge piece back and will once again be one of the favorites to win it all.