Rising basketball star Alex Condon becomes an NCAA Champion, set to turn back on AFL powerhouse

Aussie NCAA champion Alex Condon is set to turn his back on an AFL powerhouse, with sights set on the NBA dream after taking out the US national college title.

Rising Australian basketball star Alex Condon looks set to turn his back on an AFL powerhouse as a lucrative NBA career looms for the one-time junior footballer.

Collingwood had lodged paperwork to sign Condon as a Category B rookie late last year, a move which is understood to be still awaiting approval by the AFL.

However, Condon now has his sights set on bigger things as he emerges as a potential top-30 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

The 211cm giant on Tuesday became the first Australian basketballer to play in and win the US national college championship, helping the Florida Gators to a 65-63 win over the Houston Cougars.

A source close to Condon said he had “always loved footy and always had a desire to come back and play”, but the lure of joining the NBA had become strong as it had become an increasingly realistic career path.

Condon recently described his move to link up with Collingwood as a “good back-up plan”, should he be unsuccessful in reaching his NBA goals.

Florida forward Alex Condon celebrates after their win against the Houston in the national championship at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament.. Picture: Brynn Anderson

But that is now unlikely, with the 20-year-old from Perth destined to make millions playing basketball in America.

An act of defensive desperation from Condon in the dying seconds of the NCAA Championship decider helped Florida secure a third national title, after the Gators had trailed by 12 points with just 16 minutes to go.

A clutch three-point shot from Alijah Martin sparked a change in momentum, as Florida went on to outscore Houston 35-21 to produce the third largest comeback in a national championship game.

Condon played a major role in the March Madness final, contributing 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals and a final play that Gators fans will remember for a long time.

The Australian hit the ground to take possession in the final second after teammate Walter Clayton Jnr contested Houston’s Emanuel Sharp offensive play from outside the arc, forcing the Cougar to release the ball to avoid a violation.

In front for just 1min 4sec of game time, the Florida comeback handed Houston its third championship final loss, the Cougars still on the hunt for a title win.

A DEFENSIVE STOP TO BECOME THE CHAMPIONS 🏆

THE GATORS CAME UP HUGE WHEN IT MATTERED MOST 🙌#MarchMadness#[e-mail]/T9cYmeRZd3

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

“It was a great defensive play by Walter (Clayton Jnr),” Condon said of the final game defining play.

“I was questioning whether to go for it.”

“Hearing the buzzer go it was a crazy feeling, it didn’t feel real for sure.”

The second half scoring blitz was on theme for Florida, who turned around 41 points to overcome an eight-point deficit to Auburn on Sunday and storm to a spot in the final.

“We have elite confidence in those situations, we’ve seemed to be in those situations a lot in these tournaments,” Condon said.

“We got in a huddle and said we’re good, we have a lot of confidence in each other.”

Condon is the son of three-time East Fremantle WAFL premiership player Damien Condon and former international swimmer Leah Broderick.

He had represented Western Australia at the AFL under-17 national championships in 2021 before quitting football at the end of that year and turning his focus to basketball.

Duke choke ruins Aussie head-to-head at NCAA Championship final

~ Michael Randall

An almighty late choke has ruined the dream of an Aussie v Aussie US college national championships decider.

After WA’s Alex Condon and Florida did the job against Auburn, Sydney’s Tyrese Proctor and Duke looked home and hosed when they led by 14 at one point in their clash with Houston.

But the Blue Devils went stagnant late as the Cougars ripped the game away with an 11-0 tsunami to pull off a remarkable 70-67 win.

With Duke’s nominal NBA No.1 draft pick Cooper Flagg feasting on a 27-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist, 3-block, 2-steal effort, the hope for a WA v NSW title fight looked a fait accompli.

But the 68,000 inside San Antonio’s Alamodome watched on in disbelief as the tide turned.

Among those in the stadium were Proctor’s mum Melissa, there to cheer her son on as he scored 7 points in the heartbreaking loss.

Tyrese Proctor (R) and Duke missed out on a spot in the decider. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Thirteen thousand kilometres away, father Roderick sat in his car outside Queensland’s South Pine stadium streaming the game.

“I was actually watching in the hotel room and, far out, it was right there,” Roderick lamented.

“Tyrese, he’d be very upset and he’d be kicking himself.

“But that’s all right, that’s basketball, you’ve got to have a short memory.”

A big decision now looms for Tyrese: the 198cm guard is projected as a late first round or early second round pick in this year’s draft.

Does he declare for the NBA or go around for a third season with Duke?

Either way, he’ll have plenty of support from mum and dad.

“I’ll probably go back over there (to the US) shortly, depending on his decision,” Rod said.

“So we’ll just have a few phone calls and see what happens and what he decides to do.”

As Tyrese’s sister Kaila was preparing for her Basketball Australia U18 Nationals tournament-opener for NSW Metro inside the stadium, big bro’s game went for an eternity.

Officials at the Alamodome deliberated several decisions, causing a number of long stoppages.

Those breaks in the game killed the Blue Devils’ momentum and gave matchwinner LJ Cryer (26 points, 6 threes) the opening he needed to deliver the knockout blow.

To add insult to injury Tyrese Proctor missed a late free throw that would have interrupted the unanswered run.

Alex Condon (#21) and his Florida Gators are through to the NCAA Championship decider. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Earlier on Sunday, Florida came from behind to top Auburn 79-73.

It was far from Condon’s finest performance: the 211cm big man fouled out in the last minute of the game after managing just one point and four rebounds.

But the 20-year-old, who is on AFL club Collingwood’s radar, did dish out three assists and took a huge late charge, part of a number of key defensive stands that ensured the win.

The Gators roared back from an eight-point deficit at the break to swamp Auburn with a 41-point second half, spearheaded by late-blooming NBA draft hopeful Walter Clayton Jr, who poured in a game-high 34 points.

Condon will fly the Aussie flag on Tuesday when Florida faces Houston in the NCAA national championship game at 10.50am AEST.

Originally published as Rising basketball star Alex Condon becomes an NCAA Champion, set to turn back on AFL powerhouse