{"id":5570,"date":"2026-06-26T17:35:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5570"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:35:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:35:16","slug":"florida-stars-thomas-haugh-alex-condon-share-an-enduring-friendship-and-championship-bond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5570","title":{"rendered":"Florida stars Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon share an enduring friendship and championship bond"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GAINESVILLE \u2014\u00a0Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon grew up on opposite sides of the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Miss Manners: I spent the entire concert being jostled by Mr. Penguin<\/a><\/p>\n

One was raised amid the rolling farmland of rural Pennsylvania. The other came of age along Australia\u2019s sun-soaked west coast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither could have imagined a basketball-obsessed teenager half a world away would one day become his closest friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the veteran forwards and trusted teammates form the foundation of a national championship contender. Rather than pursue their professional dreams, Haugh and Condon\u00a0<\/span>returned for one final season to chase another NCAA title while setting the tone with their leadership, kinship and versatility.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese guys are great examples of what we want in our program, and it says a lot about them and their character,\u201d coach Todd Golden told the Orlando Sentinel. \u201cThey 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew early on when they got here that we had a couple special guys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Florida could open the 2026-27 season ranked No. 1 behind two of college basketball\u2019s most complete players.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\u2019s comeback victory against Houston in the 2025 national championship game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both had opportunities to begin NBA careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, a painful second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa, lucrative NIL opportunities and unfinished business brought them back to Gainesville.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Gators return six of their top eight players from last season\u2019s SEC regular-season champions, along with guard Denzel Aberdeen \u2014 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\u2019ll also be responsible for the program\u2019s future.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe expectation here at Florida is to really work hard,\u201d Condon said. \u201cEven when the coaches aren\u2019t here. Last night I came in to shoot, and 10 guys were already working out. All the young guys are really hungry. That\u2019s the legacy we want to leave at Florida.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Haugh has only one goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s either championship or bust with this team,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Golden and assistant Carlin Hartman unknowingly started a partnership by pairing the freshmen as roommates.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

They quickly discovered otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the same person as me,\u201d Haugh said as Condon stood nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImmature,\u201d Condon interrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Haugh laughed. \u201cWe\u2019re older now, but we\u2019re still like freshmen. Having that fun, easy-going mindset is kind of what made us become so close.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The friendship soon extended well beyond the court.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u201clots of beaches, good vibes and coffee,\u201d Condon said.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the bucolic setting quickly won him over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of corn and farms, nice people,\u201d he said. \u201cVery different, but it\u2019s very peaceful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Universal: HHN houses will feature mean machines, aliens, cannibals<\/a><\/p>\n

Jenn Haugh, an elementary school teacher, said the connection between Condon and her family was immediate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love him like my own kid,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The affection reaches beyond Thomas\u2019 parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jenn said her mother now calls Condon every July 25 to sing him \u201cHappy Birthday.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Thomas\u2019 younger brother, Tanner, who will be a UF freshman, even wears Condon\u2019s No. 21 jersey instead of Thomas\u2019 No. 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019 sister, RyLee, who also attends Florida, recognized the bond between Florida\u2019s future stars almost immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u2018I never would have thought there was another huge, crazy kid out there. It\u2019s like you, times two,\u2019 \u201d Jenn recalled. \u201cShe just said wherever one was, they were always both there. It has been that way pretty much immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a true testament to sports and the relationships that it brings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The feeling is mutual.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas regularly exchanges texts and Instagram messages with Alex\u2019s mother, Leah, in Perth, while enjoying the company of his father, Damien, a former Australian rules football player, when the Condons travel stateside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always happy, in a good mood,\u201d Haugh said. \u201cI feel like he brings the crowd up when he\u2019s there. People just have fun when he\u2019s around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Away from basketball, the two players enjoy plenty of interests.<\/span><\/p>\n

Haugh introduced Condon to Chick-fil-A. Condon convinced Haugh to try Vegemite \u2014 once.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the most disgusting thing I\u2019ve ever eaten,\u201d Haugh said.<\/span><\/p>\n

They spend hours playing EA Sports UFC, though the loser <\/span> often ends up with bruised feelings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was probably like an hour of weirdness,\u201d Haugh said. \u201cBut then we\u2019d be good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Their favorite pastime, though, is fishing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s Delaware beach house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to run back that trip,\u201d Haugh said.<\/span><\/p>\n

This season will conclude their run together at Florida. They already ended their three-year stretch as roommates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe broke up,\u201d Haugh joked.<\/span><\/p>\n

But a three-minute drive to each other\u2019s place is nothing compared with the 12,000 miles that once separated them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once their professional careers end, Haugh will remain in the United States while Condon plans to return Down Under.<\/span><\/p>\n

A 24-hour flight from the East Coast to Australia won\u2019t keep them apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be there a lot,\u201d Haugh said. \u201cReally good fish there. So it gives me two reasons: go see his dumb ass and catch some fish, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Editorial: The injustice of justices ignoring voters\u2019 rights<\/a><\/p>\n

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Florida forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon return chasing another title powered by a friendship forged as roommates and champions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-sports","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nFlorida stars Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon share an enduring friendship and championship bond - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5570\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Florida stars Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon share an enduring friendship and championship bond - 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