The Florida Gators made an impressive run to the men’s NCAA championship this past season. They ran into some trouble in the title game when they fell behind to Houston, but they put together an impressive rally down the stretch and won by two points.
Forward Thomas Haugh played a key role in the Gators winning it all this past season. Some felt he would forgo his final two years of college eligibility and make himself eligible for this June’s NBA draft.
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But he will instead be running it back with Florida for the 2025-26 season, which will give him the opportunity to improve his draft status moving forward.
Haugh averaged 9.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks a game during the 2024-25 season. He showed major improvements compared to his freshman year, especially in terms of his shooting efficiency from 3-point range and the free throw line.
As a freshman, he made just 25.5% of his 3-point attempts and shot only 45.7% from the charity stripe. He improved those figures to 34% and 79.4%, respectively, this past season.
Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10).Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Pennsylvania may have been a second-round pick had he declared for this year’s draft. Instead, he will stay in school, and if he continues on his current trajectory, perhaps he will rise on scouts’ draft boards by this time next year.
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Improving his 3-point shooting consistency and his defense could be the biggest keys for Haugh as far as making himself into a desirable prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Related: Purdue’s Braden Smith Makes NIL Announcement After Season
