Thomas Haugh Named to Sporting News Midseason All-American Team

Florida forward Thomas Haugh leads the Gators with 17.4 points per game.

Florida forward Thomas Haugh leads the Gators with 17.4 points per game. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Florida Gators star forward Thomas Haugh has been named to the Sporting News Midseason All-American Third Team after a strong start to the 2025-26 season.

Haugh, who was an important contributor off the bench for Todd Golden and the Gators during their national championship run last year, has taken the next step many believed he would in his junior campaign. The 6-foot-9, 215 pound forward is currently averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting a career high 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 14, 2026

The Florida standout is one of just four players from the SEC conference to make the midseason list, joined by Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff. Despite transitioning into a new role on the wing for the Gators this season, Haugh has solidified himself as one of the best players in the country.

“My goal as a head coach is to get my best players on the court as much as we can. Tommy is one of our best players. For us, with our strength in terms of who's returning being in the frontcourt, we wanted to think about different ways where we can get those guys on the court as much as possible," head coach Todd Golden said on the decision to try him on the wing. “Really good basketball players kind of figure it out, and he's one of those guys.”

Despite having the chance to go pro after last season, Haugh chose to stay at Florida with the potential to become a lottery pick in 2026. So far, the decision has looked to be the right one despite a slow start to the year for Florida.

"I think I just knew deep down that I needed more stuff to prove myself as a player. And, Coach Golden, I talked to him a lot and the assistants and just got the vibe I wanted to come back," Haugh said on his reasons for staying.

While Florida has not gotten off to the hot start they saw last December, Haugh and the Gators have rebounded well in SEC play, currently on a three game win streak that included blowout wins over ranked rivals Tennessee and Georgia. Florida currently sits at 12-5 and ranked 19th, with the potential to make another long run in March due to the excellent play of Haugh and a talented veteran frontcourt.

The Gators' next challenge comes Jan. 17, as Haugh looks to continue to help Florida build a strong resume on the road versus 10th ranked Vanderbilt. The matchup should be an exciting one, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.