Gators Thomas Haugh Being Promoted to Starting Lineup

The Florida Gators forward is taking on a bigger role this upcoming season

Haugh is moving up in the Gators world | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh served mostly as the team’s sixth man last season and played his role better than almost anyone else in the country. Now, he’s being penciled into a starting spot for the 2025-26 campaign. 

“We are going to play him more at the 3 this year,” Golden said live on The Field of 68. “We hope that we get his running mate Alex Condon back and if we do, we’ll play really big this year. We’ll start Tommy at the 3, Condo at the 4 and one of the other bigs at the 5.”

Haugh earned this starting spot after the boom in production from year one to two in the program. He averaged just 3.9 points as a freshman compared to his 9.7 this season. 

He also averaged 2.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds a game, showing that he’s capable of more than just scoring. 

“He’s a guy that is maturing into a complete player,” Golden said. “Has the ability to score both inside and stretch it out from three. He playmakes well, can really pass for a frontcourt player.”

Although it’s not just about the numbers for him, Golden mentioned. His selflessness and willingness to do what’s right for the team is a large part of why he’s held in such high regards. 

“Tommy is a consummate teammate,” Golden said. “A consummate winner. His willingness to do whatever it took for us to be successful was at the forefront all year.”

Haugh’s progression as a sophomore also led to his name being thrown in and around NBA Draft discussions. Even his head coach declared him a “definite NBA player.” 

However, he ultimately decided not to enter his name into the draft and opted for a return to Gainesville next season, which his head coach happily acknowledged. 

“I’m really glad and fortunate that he’s coming back for the Gators next year,” Golden said. 

With Golden inserting Haugh into the starting five now, they’ll look to continue what they’ve done ever since he took over, which is to dominate the glass. 

While they have yet to fill that final starting spot, the Gators will boast a big opening lineup. Transfer Xaivian Lee stands in at 6-foot-4, Haugh at 6-foot-9, Condon 6-foot-11 and either Rueben Chinyelu at 6-foot-10 or Micah Handlogten at 7-foot-1. 

So, despite it being a revolving door in the starting lineup for a few positions, the game plan hasn’t changed. 

“[We’ll] Try to overpower people a little bit,” Golden said.