NBA Draft

Florida Gators NBA Draft Prospects Shine in Record-Breaking Win

A pair of defending national champions had big games as Florida bounced back from a recent loss with a historic win.
Randall Sweet|
Jan 28, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) makes a three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) makes a three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

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Florida Gators

After a rough start to the season, the defending national champion Florida Gators had found a rythym.

The team dropped its SEC opener against Missouri before reeling off five consecutive wins that included three victories against ranked teams. That streak ended on Saturday, Jan. 24, though, as Florida fell at home to Auburn.

On Wednesday night, though, the Gators got back on track with a 95-48 win at South Carolina. The victory marked Florida's largest margin of victory in an SEC road game in school history, as well as the largest road win by any SEC team in the last 50 years.

Leading the charge for the Gators was Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu, two players who have starred for Florida all season after the team lost a trio of guards to the 2025 NBA Draft. Without Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin, Florida's backcourt hasn't been as reliable, but Haughu and Chinyelu have picked up the slack.

Haugh finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and a block, shooting 7-of-12 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 1-of-2 from the free throw line in 27 minutes of action. Chinyelu tallied 14 points, 11 rebounds, an assist and 2 blocks while shooting 7-of-7 from the field in 22 minutes.

Haugh has now topped 15 points in 15 of his 21 appearances this season, while Chinyelu has notched a double-double in 12 of the 21 contests he has played in.

After averaging less than 10 points per game as a sophomore on Florida's national title squad, Haugh is putting up 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal per game while shooting 47.3% from the field, 34.8% from 3-point range and 73.9% from the free throw line.

Listed at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, the junior has good size for a wing at the next level and has likely cemented himself as a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft with his play this season.

Alongside Haugh, Chinyelu is averaging 12 points, 11 rebounds and a block per game while shooting 64.1% from the field. Listed at 6-foot-10 and 265 pounds, the junior has the size, strength and physicality to be a solid rebounder and interior defender in the NBA.

Chinyelu's draft status for the 2026 class isn't as certain as Haugh's, and the Gators' big man could elect to return to school and try his luck in the 2027 draft.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.

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