Florida is now a preseason No. 1 favorite in college basketball. Here's why
The Gators are ready to run it back.
Florida is now a preseason No. 1 favorite in college basketball. Here's why originally appeared on The Sporting News .
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Florida Gators basketball program received huge news on Tuesday. Thomas Haugh, a projected 2026 NBA lottery pick, will return to Gainesville next season, according to ESPN.
The reload for Todd Golden's team puts them as a strong favorite for being the preseason No. 1 next season. As for Haugh, the 2027 Player of the Year candidate back in the fold at Florida will likely slide him up in next year's NBA Draft into the possible top-five range.
Before the news dropped, the Gators forward was slated to go No. 13 overall, according to ESPN's Jeremy Woo. To say another year in SEC play will boost Haugh is an understatement.