Thomas Haugh is coming back to school.
Florida junior Thomas Haugh, a projected potential lottery pick, will return to the Gators next season, per ESPN.
Haugh was widely projected to enter the 2026 NBA Draft. However, the swingman is coming back to school.
Haugh averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this past season for Florida while shooting 46.0% from the field, 32.6% from beyond the arc and 77.4% from the free-throw line.
Haugh helped Florida win the NCAA championship in 2025. He has career averages of 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in college.
Haugh was one of the best players in the SEC this past season. His career high in college is 27 points. The wing scored 27 points twice this season.
Many NBA draft experts have compared Haugh to Jeff Green, who has been in the NBA since 2007 and is still playing. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report had the Charlotte Hornets drafting Haugh with the 17th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
"While the Hornets already picked up a hustle-hard forward, they might just want to double down on the archetype," Buckley wrote. "This roster already showed enough promise to convince the front office that it should simply be hunting for missing pieces.
"If Haugh's three-ball comes alive, he should be a simple plug-and-play support piece. He has a great motor, powerful finishing and enough flashes of creation to think he won't be entirely dependent on his teammates to find him scoring chances."
It will be fascinating to see how Haugh performs next season for Florida. He could win the Player of the Year Award.
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