Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh added to his resume on Monday after the SEC and national media voted him Preseason SEC Player of the Year and a First Team All-SEC selection.
Gators forward/center Alex Condon and center Rueben Chinyelu also earned All-SEC selections, alongside Haugh, with Chinyelu being voted to the first team and Condon to the second. Florida has also been predicted to go back-to-back in winning the SEC regular season. Texas was predicted second, and Arkansas third, rounding out the top three teams.
Haugh is fresh off a strong junior campaign. He led the Gators in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game in 34 games. He also averaged 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and one block per game.
The senior imposed his will from start to finish last season on the way to winning the 2026 SEC regular-season title. His efforts earned him 2026 All-American Second and Third-Team honors from The Sporting News, NABC, AP, and USBWA.
His campaign began with a 27-point outing in the loss to the Arizona Wildcats. His ability to get to the free-throw line and efficiency at the stripe stood out the most. He converted 12 of his 14 attempts. Then, in the loss to Duke at the start of December, Haugh poured in another 24 points and six rebounds.
Haugh also continued this level in conference play. He scored at least 20 points nine times against SEC opponents. One of his best conference performances came against the Georgia Bulldogs. He logged 21 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals in a win.
Haugh's fellow Gator on the 2026-27 Preseason All-SEC First Team, Chinyelu, had a career year as a junior. He became the first Gator to win a national defensive player of the year award, winning both the Naismith and the NABC awards. Additionally, he is the first Gator since Bob Smyth in 1975-76 to average double-figure rebounds or a double-double. Chinyelu logged 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
Condon joined the other two in having a dominant junior season. He averaged 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game last year. That play from Condon earned him All-SEC honors from the AP (second team) and coaches (third team). He was also a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
The Gators open the regular season on November 2nd against the Miami Hurricanes in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic.
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