How Gators’ Glue Guy Helped Them Advance to Elite Eight

He grew up a Gators fan, and now he's the glue of a team set to play in the Elite Eight on Saturday

Haugh has seized the moment to shine for Florida | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Thomas Haugh always wanted to be a Florida Gator. Since he was 8 years old, the kid from New Oxford, Pa., always carried a piece of Gators memorabilia. Fast-forward to the 2025 NCAA basketball season, and that kid from New Oxford is carrying something else. He is helping carry the Gators basketball program through the NCAA Tournament. 

The Gators most recently defeated the Maryland Terrapins in San Francisco to advance to the Elite Eight. When power forward Alex Condon went down with an injury in the first half, Haugh was immediately subbed in to replace him. 

Haugh's smaller size for a power forward made him much more nimble to get around the court. He was also a much more capable shooter compared to his Terrapin counterpart. Haugh finished the night with 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. One more rebound and it would have been a double-double for Haugh. 

One of the more interesting strategies implemented by head coach Todd Golden is how the Gators break the press, something Maryland tried many times. To break the press, Golden used a 2-1-2 play, which appears like an X.  Haugh is normally the one in the middle, instead of a taller big.  His ability to look to pass the ball as well as dribble up the court and even shoot makes him one of the more dangerous players when he is on the court. 

On top of that, despite being one of the shortest bigs on the team, Haugh’s tenacity often wins him the ball when going up for a rebound. The Gators outrebounded the Terrapins 38-20. That is nearly double the offensive opportunities for the Gators shooters.  

The Florida Gators will take on the three-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. EDT. The Gators have a little tournament history. 

The last time the Gators met the Red Raiders in the tournament, the Gators lost in the second round to another three-seed Texas Tech team back in 2018.​​ The Gators were a sixth-seed back then. With a win, the Gators would clinch a spot in the Final Four in San Antonio, effectively making it out of their region. 

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