Thomas Haugh returning to Florida Gators: Star forward running it back eyeing second national title

Basketball

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Image Credit: Maddie Washburn, UAA

The Florida Gators may not have won back-to-back national championships, but the Class of 2023 is nevertheless following in the footsteps of the Oh Fours. Deciding to put off a professional career for another season, junior forward Thomas Haugh on Tuesday announced that he will return to Florida for his senior campaign, forgoing a potential lottery selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.

In doing so, Haugh, the highest-ranked draft prospect to announce his return to college thus far, joins classmate and close friend, forward Alex Condon, in playing a fourth season with the Gators. The duo is pushing off the pro ranks another year to play for head coach Todd Golden in Gainesville, Florida.

“It’s been my dream school. It’s been a dream the last three years,” Haugh said in a social media post. “… I’m coming back, baby! Go Gators!”

Haugh will likely receive an NIL contract commensurate with his potential NBA Draft slot, though he told ESPN that it was not a financial decision to return to Florida. Haugh and Condon will almost certainly be higher picks in a thinner draft when the 2027 process rolls around.

“It’s not just the NIL. It’s a chance to play with my boys, to play for Coach Golden, to go to the school I love to play for,” he said. “It was definitely a tougher decision than last year, but it was best for my career and future.”

While the Gators all took the team’s second-round 2026 NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa tough, for Haugh, a lifelong Florida fan, getting bounced out of March Madness just a couple of hours away from campus was a particularly harsh reality. In fact, Golden told ESPN that the loss was likely the deciding factor in Haugh’s decision to return.

“I think that lit a fire underneath me,” Haugh said. “I [didn’t] want my last memory of Florida basketball to be that.”

Haugh surged over the second half of his sophomore season at Florida, replacing Condon as the team’s most effective big man while the latter dealt with an ankle injury. His strong play — initially off the bench before moving into a starting role — helped boost the Gators to the program’s first national championship since 2007.

While his efficiency declined in his first full season as a starter, that ironically came amid somewhat of a role reversal with Condon, who surged over the latter portion of the campaign. Still, Haugh finished as a 46.0% shooter (down from 48.5% in 2024-25), making 32.6% of his 3-pointers (34.0%) and 77.4% of his free throws (79.4%). He averaged a career-high 17.1 points while matching his sophomore season with 6.1 rebounds as he moved out from the interior to the wing.

Haugh was nevertheless Florida’s far-and-away best player in 2025-26, picking up much of the offensive slack left over from the departures of Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin.

The returns of Haugh and Condon come amid a slew of positive personnel news for the Gators.

While junior center Rueben Chinyelu declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, he has the option to return to school if he is not satisfied with his evaluation during the process.

Guards sophomore Boogie Fland, sophomore Isaiah Brown and redshirt junior AJ Brown all announced in late March that they were returning to the program. Fland will remain in the starting five with Isaiah Brown being given a legitimate opportunity to move into the primary lineup on the wing.

Former Florida G Denzel Aberdeen, a member of the 2025 title team, announced on April 10 that he will attempt a return after one season at Kentucky, pending NCAA approval for an additional year of eligibility. Should Aberdeen rejoin the Gators following the best statistical season of his collegiate career, he would start alongside Fland in the backcourt.

With Haugh and Condon back, if Aberdeen can suit up, Florida will likely be considered the favorite in the SEC without bringing in an unfamiliar player.

The Gators were seen as a top option for Iowa State transfer F Milan Momcilovic, who averaged 16.9 points last season. However, with Haugh returning, their pursuit of Momcilovic has likely ended.