Gators Seek Bounce-Back Win at South Carolina Amid Shooting Woes, Condon's Struggles

Florida coach Todd Golden confident team can still reach preseason goals despite recent setback against Auburn.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 2:55pm

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The Florida Gators men's basketball team is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Auburn when they travel to face the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gators struggled with their shooting and rebounding in the loss, and preseason All-America selection Alex Condon has seen his confidence dip due to his poor 3-point shooting. Coach Todd Golden believes the Gators, ranked No. 3 in the preseason, still have a high ceiling and can reach their goals for the season.

Why it matters

The Gators' loss to Auburn was a reality check after a five-game winning streak, and exposed some of the team's weaknesses, particularly their 3-point shooting struggles. If the Gators can't find a way to overcome these issues, it could derail their hopes of contending in the SEC and making a deep NCAA Tournament run.

The details

In the loss to Auburn, the Gators were beaten on the boards 19-13 in the first half, allowing Auburn to build a 43-28 halftime lead. Florida's 3-point shooting woes continued, as they shot just 28.5% from beyond the arc on the season, one of the worst marks in the country. Preseason All-America selection Alex Condon, who spent the offseason working to improve his outside shooting, has struggled mightily, making just 6-of-42 (14.3%) 3-pointers so far this season.

  • The Gators will face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday night.
  • Florida had won 16 straight games at the O'Connell Center before the loss to Auburn on Saturday.

The players

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team.

Alex Condon

A 6-foot-11, 230-pound junior forward for the Florida Gators who was a preseason All-America selection, but has struggled with his 3-point shooting this season.

Tommy Haugh

A 6-foot-9, 215-pound small forward for the Florida Gators who is among the top 15 players in the SEC in both scoring and rebounding.

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What they’re saying

“We're really consistent in our approach. Our guys are ready to go, and they compete the right way. We're not gonna change up too much of what we do. We just can't let it happen again.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“When somebody's not guarding you, I think it can kind of messes you a little bit. I need to do a better job is giving him the right plan when that happens. I could be wrong. I don't think that's a good formula for guarding a really good player after you have a little bit of time to prepare for it.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“I think this team's in a good spot. There's obviously a game or two that we wish we would have won. We've proven over the last three or four weeks that we can win a lot of games against really good teams – winning five straight Quad 1 games in a row. This team still has a high ceiling, and and we've got to make sure we continue to have a high floor.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

What’s next

The Gators will look to bounce back against the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday night.

The takeaway

The Gators' loss to Auburn exposed some of their weaknesses, particularly their 3-point shooting struggles and the dip in confidence for preseason All-America selection Alex Condon. If Florida can't find a way to overcome these issues, it could derail their hopes of contending in the SEC and making a deep NCAA Tournament run.