The Florida Gators notched their first national title since 2007 following a hugely entertaining NCAA Tournament run. They’ll aim to defend their crown in 2026 — but how will they do so?
Five Reasons the Florida Gators Will Pull Off the Repeat and Defend Their National Championship
The Gators will be losing a large core of their 2025 national championship team, as star guard Walter Clayton Jr., and starting guards Alijah Martin and Will Richard are all seniors and will enter their names into the NBA draft. Clayton was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player while Martin and Richard each scored more than 13 points a night.
Similarly, 6-foot-11 forward Alex Condon is expected to enter the draft as a projected first-round pick after a breakthrough sophomore campaign.
That leaves a depleted core — but still a chance at major success.
Here are five reasons why they can pull off the improbable of repeating as national champions.
Todd Golden’s Coaching Expertise
At only 39 years old, Golden has risen up the coaching ranks quickly. He now finds himself with a national title on his resume along with distinguishing himself as one of the top coaches in college basketball.
Ranked 21st in the preseason AP Poll, Golden figured out a way to play each of Clayton, Martin, and Richard together successfully despite none being taller than 6-foot-4. He did so by combining those lineups oftentimes with an athletic, rangy forward and a big man.
With new pieces likely to come in and others to emerge, Golden will once again have to show his ability to maneuver different lineups to get the best out of his players — something he’s shown to be able to do at a high level.
Transfer Portal Destination
In this era of college basketball, it’s just a fact that the transfer portal is a huge part of team building.
Following a national championship and with several positional vacancies, Florida is shaping up to be one of the best destinations for players in the portal. Golden got the best out of his players in 2025 and others will be looking for him to elevate their game come 2026.
Outgoing Talent in College Basketball
Among the players leaving college basketball are the Gators’ trio of guards and likely Condon — which, seemingly, would put Florida at a major disadvantage moving forward.
A quick look at the landscape of college basketball represents a shifting nature, as a large number of the top players in college basketball are set to either enter the NBA draft as early enrollees or will soon graduate.
While it isn’t ideal, Florida may not be in as bad of a position when looking at the rest of the nation. Rather, it’s more of an even playing field than anything.
Denzel Aberdeen and Thomas Haugh
The players Golden is expected to retain will have elevated roles in 2026, namely Aberdeen and Haugh.
A 6-foot-9 stretch four, Haugh’s name has national notoriety after his 20-point, 11-rebound performance in the Elite Eight including helping spark a late game comeback with two consecutive three-pointers. A junior-to-be, he’ll have a bigger role offensively next year after averaging 9.8 ppg as a sophomore.
Aberdeen is an anomaly in college basketball, as he’s been with the Gators as a backup guard for all three seasons of his career. He contributed seven points in 18 minutes in the national title game and was visibly comfortable in the moment.
At 6-foot-5, he’ll be a senior next year and will be asked to do much more to fill the void left by their three-headed guard trio — but if you asked Golden, he’d tell you Aberdeen is ready for all of it.
Winning Expectations
While this may seem like a negative, it can be a positive with an elite coaching staff. Florida has that.
Every team the Gators play next season will give them their best shot. That will likely lead to some losses early in the season, but it will have strengthened the team once it matters in the tournament.
KEEP READING: WATCH: Walter Clayton Jr.’s Hilarious Moment With Florida Mascot After Florida Wins Championship
No other team has that luxury of having a target on its back that Florida will hold. It will suit them well late in the season as long as Golden can steady the ship through the rough waters early on.
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