GAINESVILLE — Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon grew up on opposite sides of the globe.
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One was raised amid the rolling farmland of rural Pennsylvania. The other came of age along Australia’s sun-soaked west coast.
Neither could have imagined a basketball-obsessed teenager half a world away would one day become his closest friend.
When Haugh and Condon arrived at Florida in the summer of 2023, they were competing for the same frontcourt minutes. Instead of becoming rivals, they became inseparable.
Now, the veteran forwards and trusted teammates form the foundation of a national championship contender. Rather than pursue their professional dreams, Haugh and Condon returned for one final season to chase another NCAA title while setting the tone with their leadership, kinship and versatility.
“These guys are great examples of what we want in our program, and it says a lot about them and their character,” coach Todd Golden told the Orlando Sentinel. “They were two guys competing for minutes in the frontcourt, and it never once got in the way of their friendship or how they treated each other.
“We knew early on when they got here that we had a couple special guys.”
Florida could open the 2026-27 season ranked No. 1 behind two of college basketball’s most complete players.
The 6-foot-9 Haugh stretches defenses with his shooting, attacks the rim, thrives in transition and guards multiple positions. The 6-foot-11 Condon rebounds relentlessly, protects the rim, delivers uncanny passes and makes winning plays, none bigger than his hustle to secure Florida’s comeback victory against Houston in the 2025 national championship game.
Both had opportunities to begin NBA careers.
Instead, a painful second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa, lucrative NIL opportunities and unfinished business brought them back to Gainesville.
The Gators return six of their top eight players from last season’s SEC regular-season champions, along with guard Denzel Aberdeen — back at Florida after a one-year stint at Kentucky. With several young players and newcomers also expected to contribute, Haugh and Condon know they’ll also be responsible for the program’s future.
“The expectation here at Florida is to really work hard,” Condon said. “Even when the coaches aren’t here. Last night I came in to shoot, and 10 guys were already working out. All the young guys are really hungry. That’s the legacy we want to leave at Florida.”
Haugh has only one goal.
“It’s either championship or bust with this team,” he said.
Golden and assistant Carlin Hartman unknowingly started a partnership by pairing the freshmen as roommates.
Haugh, the blond-haired, blue-eyed All-American kid from New Oxford, Pennsylvania, and Condon, the affable, yet rugged Australian from Perth, seemed to have little in common beyond basketball.
They quickly discovered otherwise.
“He’s the same person as me,” Haugh said as Condon stood nearby.
“Immature,” Condon interrupted.
“Yeah,” Haugh laughed. “We’re older now, but we’re still like freshmen. Having that fun, easy-going mindset is kind of what made us become so close.”
The friendship soon extended well beyond the court.
Condon has become part of the Haugh family, visiting Pennsylvania several times, including for Christmas. New Oxford (pop. 1,868) bears little resemblance to Perth, where there are “lots of beaches, good vibes and coffee,” Condon said.
But the bucolic setting quickly won him over.
“A lot of corn and farms, nice people,” he said. “Very different, but it’s very peaceful.”
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Jenn Haugh, an elementary school teacher, said the connection between Condon and her family was immediate.
“I love him like my own kid,” she said.
The affection reaches beyond Thomas’ parents.
Jenn said her mother now calls Condon every July 25 to sing him “Happy Birthday.” Thomas’ younger brother, Tanner, who will be a UF freshman, even wears Condon’s No. 21 jersey instead of Thomas’ No. 10.
Thomas’ sister, RyLee, who also attends Florida, recognized the bond between Florida’s future stars almost immediately.
“She said, ‘I never would have thought there was another huge, crazy kid out there. It’s like you, times two,’ ” Jenn recalled. “She just said wherever one was, they were always both there. It has been that way pretty much immediately.
“It is a true testament to sports and the relationships that it brings.”
The feeling is mutual.
Thomas regularly exchanges texts and Instagram messages with Alex’s mother, Leah, in Perth, while enjoying the company of his father, Damien, a former Australian rules football player, when the Condons travel stateside.
“He’s always happy, in a good mood,” Haugh said. “I feel like he brings the crowd up when he’s there. People just have fun when he’s around.”
Away from basketball, the two players enjoy plenty of interests.
Haugh introduced Condon to Chick-fil-A. Condon convinced Haugh to try Vegemite — once.
“That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten,” Haugh said.
They spend hours playing EA Sports UFC, though the loser often ends up with bruised feelings.
“It was probably like an hour of weirdness,” Haugh said. “But then we’d be good.”
Their favorite pastime, though, is fishing.
The pair and two friends recently landed a 6-foot blacktip shark off St. Augustine. A couple summers earlier, they caught an even bigger shark during a trip to the Haugh family’s Delaware beach house.
“We’ve got to run back that trip,” Haugh said.
This season will conclude their run together at Florida. They already ended their three-year stretch as roommates.
“We broke up,” Haugh joked.
But a three-minute drive to each other’s place is nothing compared with the 12,000 miles that once separated them.
Once their professional careers end, Haugh will remain in the United States while Condon plans to return Down Under.
A 24-hour flight from the East Coast to Australia won’t keep them apart.
“I’ll be there a lot,” Haugh said. “Really good fish there. So it gives me two reasons: go see his dumb ass and catch some fish, too.”
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Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]