Despite being eligible, Florida Gator Thomas Haugh surprised the basketball world by deciding not to enter his name in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6’9″ forward was projected as one of the surefire candidates to be selected next June.
Thomas Haugh Wants to Win The National Title Again
ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony reported this information on his personal X account, claiming that Haugh decided to focus on helping the Gators defend their NCAA Tournament title next season:
NEWS: Thomas Haugh has elected not to declare for the 2025 NBA draft and will return to Florida for his junior season, he told ESPN. Haugh will enter next season a projected 2026 first-round pick after playing a critical role in the Gators’ national championship run. pic.twitter.com/IImYjjJVCm
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 25, 2025
Most experts allowed Haugh to go in the Draft’s first two rounds. SB Nation had him projected as the 26th pick (first round), while Bleacher Report (35th), On3 (41st), and NBADraft.net (45th) had him going in the second round.
If he continues to perform at his 2024-25 level next season, his prospects should improve considerably and become a near-unanimous first-round pick projection.
Haugh came off the bench for most of the season (he started only five of the 40 games he played), but ended up being an indispensable part of head coach Todd Golden’s strategy. Suffice it to say, he averaged 24.5 minutes per game during the season.
The 21-year-old sophomore averaged 9.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 48.5% on 2-pointers, 34% from the perimeter and 79.4% on free throws.
Haugh was instrumental in helping the Gators win the NCAA Tournament. He is best remembered for his performance in the Elite Eight game against Texas Tech, where he had 20 points and 11 assists to lead his team’s comeback victory.}
“Tommy has just continued to improve so much when he got to campus,” Todd Golden told The Independent Florida Alligator of Haugh’s growth throughout the season. “He was good for us last year, helped us win a lot of games, but I think he only averaged, like, three points and four rebounds a game.”
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His career stats include seven points, five rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 76 games with the Gators. He has made 47.4% of his 2-point shots, 31.3% of his 3-point shots, and 71.6% of his free throws.
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