How will Kentucky try and slow Florida star forward Thomas Haugh?

The toughest test this season is coming up on Saturday as Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to take on the Florida Gators. The defending National Champion Florida Gators have been one of the hottest teams in college basketball over the last two weeks with four straight blowout wins. Some of those wins came over teams like Alabama and Texas A&M.

Like the Gators, the Kentucky Wildcats come into this game as one of the hottest teams in college hoops, so this matchup for the top spot in the SEC should be a good one. The toughest test in the toughest game of the season for Pope’s team will be slowing star Gator forward Thomas Haugh.

Feb 1, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dunks the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Gators play an interesting style of ball because they basically start three centers. Todd Golden’s team has a 6’9, 6’10, and 6’11 player in the starting five. Haugh, who stands 6’9 has been one of the best players in all of college basketball this season, averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and one block per game for the Gators.

He is a tough matchup for the Wildcats because basically one of two players will guard him on Saturday. It will either be Otega Oweh or Collin Chander. I asked this question on X today, and it was a mixed bag of responses, some saying Oweh and others saying Chandler.

Whichever of these two players draws the assignment of Haugh, they will need to try to take the ball from him when he puts it on the floor. Haugh is a competent three-point shooter, and if he is hitting from deep, it will be very hard for the Wildcats to win this game, knowing no one who will be guarding him will be able to contest all that well.

The Wildcats will have to find a way to rebound the ball on Saturday, or this game could get ugly early. Knowing the Gators are such a big team, it won’t be easy, so Coach Pope needs all five players on the floor to crash the defensive glass.

Haugh is going to be a tough player for this team to guard, but the Wildcats will have to do the best they can because he is a guy who can take over a game. If Haugh has a big game, Kentucky will likely be heading back to Lexington with a loss, so Pope needs to game plan well for the elite forward.