Thomas Haugh, a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, will return to Florida

Florida wing Thomas Haugh, a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has decided to return to Gainesville for his senior season, he told The Athletic. Haugh’s decision is one of the most stunning NBA Draft calls of the last five years. The 22-year-old rising senior has accomplished just about everything one can in college basketball. He helped lead the Gators to the 2025 national championship while playing 27 minutes per game and averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament. Following that performance, some NBA scouts felt Haugh had a chance to be taken in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, but he returned to school to work on his game. He made tangible improvements as a junior, averaging 17 points and six rebounds on his way to consensus second-team All-America status and leading the Gators to another No. 1 seed. This tournament run ended with an upset loss in the second round to Iowa, with Haugh managing an ankle injury that occurred in early February that affected his game down the stretch.So why did he decide to pass up the NBA again?Advertisement