Gators F Thomas Haugh Approaching Career Accolade Ahead of Georgia Game

Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh has turned an under-the-radar recruitment into a stellar career.

Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh has turned an under-the-radar recruitment into a stellar career. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Thomas Haugh's stellar career from underrated recruit to key bench piece to now being one of college basketball's best players is well-documented. When the Florida Gators play Georgia on Wednesday, his career will take another step forward.

When Haugh takes the floor in Athens, he will officially play in his 100th career game, doing so after not missing a single game over the last three years.

"What's the saying? Your best ability is availability? That shows up for him quite a bit," head coach Todd Golden said.

Across the last three seasons, Haugh has played in 99 games with 30 starts, 23 of which have come this season. In a transfer-portal-dominant era, Haugh has waited his turn, going from a major contributor off the bench into one of the most impactful players in the country this season, averaging 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in his first season as a full-time starter.

"Knock on wood (on the injury), but that's crazy, 100 games played here," he said. "But it's a blessing. It's been the best time of my life, so it's kind of cool to get to do it 100 times."

Haugh's journey into being one of Florida's most consistent players over the last three years came in irregular fashion. Not only has college athletics evolved into a culture of transfers, it has also evolved into instant-gratification and a need to play early and often. Haugh, who not only waited his turn to start, also waited to enroll at UF.

After his senior season of high school, Haugh delayed joining the Gators by a year to play a single season of postgrad prep basketball at Perkiomen in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. The decision to take that year came after discussions with Golden about his development heading into college.

The decision paid off as Haugh became more game-ready on the court and more mature off it.

"I was a little skeptical. My mom was a little skeptical of it. We were able to eventually just go out there and just hard work," Haugh said. "Working hard the next year (Perkiomen) becoming more mature. Becoming more of a man and stuff like that. It just helped me a lot in life, not even basketball. I think that definitely helped me get to the spot I’m at right now.”

Golden, meanwhile, also said Haugh's longevity is a microcosm of the efforts of team trainer Jon Michelini and strength and conditioning coach Victor Lopez. It is also a credit to the players' efforts to stay healthy over the last three seasons.

"I think we have really good staff, but we're who we are because our players perform really well," Golden said. "Every time we step on the floor, and they're in great condition, so that's been a huge part of his success, for sure. And I think overall, big picture, macro, you know, talking about our program, the fact that we've been healthy for the most part, has given us a great chance to be consistent like we have been."

Haugh's 100th game in the orange and blue, coming against rival Georgia, begins at 7 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN 2.