‘Playing with reckless abandon’: Alex Condon setting tone on the boards for Florida basketball

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An adage exists in basketball that a defensive possession isn’t over until a rebound is secured.

That might explain why Florida basketball put together a masterful defensive showing Saturday vs. Ole Miss.

The Gators outrebounded the Rebels 48-36. An Aussie was a big reason for that.

Condon finished Saturday’s game with 17 points and a team-high 15 boards, becoming the first Gator with a 15-15 game since Tyrese Samuel in last season’s SEC Tournament vs. Georgia.

An accolade might be in his future Monday, at least that’s what coach Todd Golden believes.

He’s had a remarkable week. Hard pressed to find a guy that deserves SEC Player of the Week more than him,” Golden said. “He’s playing with confidence right now, shooting the ball well, just really getting on the glass.”

Rebounding is the engine that drives Florida basketball

Condon, of course, played hero Wednesday in the win over No. 7 Alabama, ending with 27 points and 11 rebounds. These two games marked an impressive turnaround for the sophomore forward after he missed three games with an ankle injury.

In Saturday’s game, the key was setting the tone. Condon had two inches on Ole Miss’ tallest starter – Malik Dia. Assistant coach Carlin Hartman knew that and encouraged Condon to crash the boards.

Crashing the boards is a big part of Florida’s identity, Golden said. The coach is right. In their lone home loss this season – to Missouri on January 14 – Florida won the rebounding battle by one, but it struggled mightily in the first half.

This allowed the Tigers to build a 16 point lead as UF allowed 50 first half points.

“When you look back at some of the games where we struggled or haven’t played our best, a lot of it has to do the boards, and we haven’t gained any sort of advantage,” Golden said.

Condon is now four games back in his return from his injury. He said the two weeks off allowed him to rest his feet and feel like he did when the season began in November.

Another silver lining from the injury…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/playing-reckless-abandon-alex-condon-220638629.html

Author : The Gainesville Sun

Publish date : 2025-03-09 22:06:00

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