Florida’s Basketball Journey: The Rise of Thomas Haugh
In the summer of 2022, the newly assembled men’s basketball coaching staff at the University of Florida faced a daunting challenge: zero wins and an uncertain future. However, amidst this precarious situation, one thing was clear—Thomas Haugh, a tall and athletic three-star recruit, was determined to make Gainesville his home. A native of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, Haugh was an unusual but passionate Gators fan, a 6-foot-9 player who idolized Tim Tebow. “They had to do a lot wrong for Tommy not to show up and be a Gator the next day,” said Ryan Haugh, Thomas’ father, as he reminisced on the Chase Center floor. “This was his lifelong dream. He bled orange and blue while the rest of Pennsylvania was immersed in blue and white.”
These are the serendipitous stories that propel college basketball teams into the spotlight in April, often without any foreknowledge of the journey ahead. It began with a tall kid from a small town, who initially played quarterback. As fate would have it, he fell in love with the game of basketball, ultimately outgrowing his quarterback days. With a growth spurt that saw him reach new heights, he caught the attention of an assistant coach at Richmond. When that coach transitioned to Florida, he took a second look at Haugh, who was eager to seize the opportunity. Fast forward less than three years, and Thomas Haugh found himself on the court, arms wide open, celebrating Florida’s return to the Final Four for the first time in over a decade—a moment that would not have been possible without his contributions.
On that memorable Saturday evening, Haugh scored 20 points, secured 11 rebounds, and drained two crucial 3-pointers in the final three minutes, igniting a remarkable comeback for the top-seeded Gators. They triumphed over Texas Tech with a score of 84-79, earning a coveted spot in San Antonio. “I feel like I’m dreaming,” Haugh exclaimed, a championship cap perched atop his head. “I remember sneaking my phone into science class to watch the round of 64 when I was in eighth grade. To think I’m now playing in the Final Four is surreal.”
Yet, this incredible journey is not solely a matter of luck. Florida’s coaching staff has meticulously crafted a formidable roster by trusting their instincts and evaluating players beyond conventional wisdom. Their approach stems from years of experience, including time spent in the Ivy League, and embraces the risk of unconventional choices. This philosophy culminated in Haugh’s emergence as a hero during the Elite Eight game.
Haugh was, as Florida assistant coach Kevin Hovde described him, “an insane late bloomer.” Standing at six feet seven inches going into his senior year of high school, he hadn’t yet fully committed to the sport of basketball. While Hovde was at Richmond, Haugh was on the radar, albeit not as a guaranteed must-sign prospect. However, after a transformative prep school experience, Haugh’s potential began to shine. When Hovde joined Todd Golden’s new coaching staff at Florida, they recognized Haugh’s talent and saw him as a player worth pursuing, even if the details were still forming.
“He has a very high floor in his game,” Hovde commented amid the celebrations following their victory. “I believed he could defend at this level, and he possesses a great basketball IQ. He’s easy to play alongside, so I knew he would contribute in some capacity. But he has surpassed our expectations.”
The coaching staff envisioned a steep trajectory for Haugh, and he has indeed climbed that mountain with determination. His per-40-minute rebounding numbers have remained consistent from his freshman to sophomore year. However, his free-throw shooting has skyrocketed from a mere 45.7% as a freshman to an impressive 80.4% as a sophomore. Additionally, he has more than doubled his assist rate (from 6.9% to 14.1%), becoming what Golden describes as a “pressure release” for the Gators’ guards. Notably, Haugh’s 3-point shooting improved from 25.5% to 33%, positioning him as a crucial asset for one of the most talented teams in the nation, leading with .225 Win Shares per 40 minutes.
Remarkably, Haugh has primarily come off the bench throughout his two-year tenure, playing in a reserve role for all but seven games. “He’s a winning player,” Golden praised. “He consistently finds ways to impact the game and uplift the team. He’s one of the most unselfish players out there, comfortably accepting his role off the bench, even when he could be starting for almost any team in America.”
Haugh embodies Florida’s strategy and the success that has followed. The Gators have embraced players who might not fit the mold sought by other power-conference programs. This approach aims to build depth that can overwhelm opponents while also requiring players willing to accept secondary roles. The Gators have remained steadfast, experiencing their longest losing streak this year at just one game, thanks to the depth of their roster.
In the Elite Eight, Haugh, averaging 9.5 points per game, again embraced his role off the bench. He logged an impressive 30 minutes—third most on the team against Texas Tech—and confidently drained a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to six points with 2:50 remaining. He followed that with another shot, narrowing the gap to a single possession just seconds later. While Walter Clayton Jr. may have finished the game, Haugh’s timely contributions were pivotal. “I just got the ball and thought, I probably need a 3-pointer here, so I’ll just throw one up and see if it goes in,” Haugh joked. “Thankfully, my teammates found me, and I made the shots.”
His parents still find it hard to comprehend how a football player from Gainesville connected with a kid from a small Pennsylvania town. “I questioned every day why there was orange and blue in our house,” Ryan Haugh, a former football player at Division II Shippensburg University, admitted. But they embraced it nonetheless. Jennifer Haugh even encouraged her son by giving him Tim Tebow’s book to read. After all, there could be worse role models to idolize. “His drive and tenacity, his refusal to give up—those qualities really resonated with him,” Ryan Haugh reflected. “You saw that come to life today.”
This journey has brought everyone to Florida and, in turn, has propelled Florida to a Final Four appearance. Amid the postgame excitement, Thomas Haugh expressed his hopes of meeting Tebow one day—a likely prospect after the electrifying events of Saturday at the Chase Center. The fortunate coincidences in Thomas Haugh’s story are steadily transforming into undeniable realities. “Obviously,” Golden noted of the selfless sophomore who played a pivotal role in advancing the Gators to San Antonio, “he’s going to start for us next year.”
(Photo: Kyle Terada / Imagn Images)
