Florida is set for a much longer offseason after failing to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in 2026. The No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes upset the No. 1 Gators in the Round of 32 with a final score of 73-73.
With the 2026-27 season in sight, starting guard Boogie Fland began the Gators’ offseason moves by announcing that he will return to Florida for his junior season, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported.
Fland, a true sophomore in 2025-26, helped lead the Gators to a 27-8 record this season. The Gators finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country and headed to the NCAA Tournament.
Boogie Fland to Return to Florida
Boogie Fland transferred from Arkansas to Florida after his freshman season in 2024-25. He elected to join the defending national champions after an injury-riddled freshman season under first-year Razorbacks head coach John Calipari.
The former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American started his freshman year on a hot streak before suffering a hand injury that kept him sidelined for the final 15 games of the regular season. Fland would return for the Razorbacks for the NCAA Tournament in a limited fashion.
He averaged just 17.7 minutes per game in Arkansas’ push for the Sweet Sixteen last season.
Boogie Fland finished his freshman season averaging 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 37.9% from the field and 34.0% from three.
He joined the Todd Golden-led Gators for the 2025-26 season with a chip on his shoulder.
In his sophomore season, Boogie Fland returned to full form. He started and played in all 35 games for the Gators this season, serving as a defensive anchor for the defending national champions. Fland finished the 2025-26 season averaging 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He also led the Gators in steals per game with 1.7.
His best games for Florida this season were in a Jan. 10 win over Tennessee, where Fland finished with 23 points, three rebounds, and five assists, shooting 9-13 from the field and 3-6 from three.
On Feb. 25, Fland finished with 22 points and five rebounds while shooting 7-10 from the field and 2-3 from three in a win over Texas.
Florida’s Uncertain 2026-27 Season
The Gators’ offseason will come with a lot of roster uncertainties. Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu are all players who are listed on ESPN’s latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft.
Condon, who was the Gators’ second-leading scorer this season, has told The Gainesville Sun that his decision is “probably around 50-50 right now” on whether he stays in school or goes pro.
All four of them have an option to return to Florida for next season. A lot of these questions will be answered later in the offseason.
Xavian Lee will be departing the program after finishing up his senior season in 2025-26. The Princeton transfer averaged 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for Florida this season.
Backup center Micah Handlogten will also be leaving the school after finishing up his senior season. The 7-foot-1 big appeared in 34 games this season, averaging 4.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
As of now, Florida has a seven-foot center, Jones Lay as the only high school recruit who’s committed to the Gators for the 2026-27 season.
Florida’s Boogie Fland Makes College Decision After Gators’ Second-Round Exit