As expected, Florida Basketball star Alex Condon has declared for the NBA Draft. Condon announced on his Instagram page that he would go through the predraft process and possibly return to UF.
Walter Clayton Jr. went through the process before returning to Gainesville and teaming up with Condon to win a national title.
Condon will have until June 15 to pull his name from the draft and the question on everyone's mind right now is whether or not he is ready for the NBA or whether it makes more sense to come back to Florida for another season.
Florida Basketball: Tweener
Mock drafts seem all over the place with Condon. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, most mock drafts seem to have Condon pegged as a mid-second-round guy. And even though Condon didn't have the most amazing NCAA Tournament, he is pegged as a mid-to-late first-round prospect in some other mock drafts.
Condon's passing and high assists-to-turnover ratio are what most NBA prognosticators view as his strength. We know his motor is high, capped off by his diving on the ground to secure a national championship, and in a league that sometimes gets excused for being lazy, that could play well for him.
His versatility is also a huge asset in a defensive rotation, and he can handle his own, whether guarding at the top of the key or down in the post.
However, Condon is also at an awkward size for the NBA for someone who is not considered an elite shooter. We know he can finish inside, but at 230 pounds, he would be giving up 20+ pounds to most 6'10" NBA guys.
And at 32% from three, we know Condon is capable of hitting a long shot, but given the extended three-point arc of the NBA, it feels like most teams would start out being content making Condon prove he can hurt them consistently from deep.
Condon is going to go through the Draft process, and he'll see what direct feedback he gets from the NBA. If he has a team that swears up and down that they will take him in the first round, he may have no other choice but to leave.
And this may be Gator goggles on, but Condon feels like a guy who could benefit from one more year in college. Unless he is really trying to start his NBA clock to get out of his eventual rookie deal into the possibility of a contract extension, he can play himself into being a for sure Lottery Pick next season if he can develop a more consistent jumper and add on about 10 pounds to his frame.