Thomas Haugh’s name is on another preseason list, and this one points straight at one of college basketball’s biggest individual prizes.
The Florida forward was included on the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award’s 20-player preseason watch list, which the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. Haugh, who checks in at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, is entering the 2026-27 season with his profile already well established after last year’s breakout.
That recognition follows an All-American season in 2026 for the New Oxford, Pennsylvania, native. Haugh helped power Florida’s 2025 NCAA national championship run and put up 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season while also earning All-SEC honors. He is also on the preseason watch list for SEC player of the year.
Florida’s expectations are again high around Todd Golden’s program, with much of the rotation back and a frontcourt that includes three NBA draft prospects in Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon. The Gators also have three players on Naismith starting five watch lists, with Boogie Fland in the mix for the Bob Cousy Award and Denzel Aberdeen up for the Jerry West Award.
Florida opens the regular season Monday against Miami in Tampa, and Haugh will begin that schedule with another chance to build on the kind of year that put him in the national awards conversation.
Julius Erving small forward of the year award watchlist
NAME SCHOOL
Amari Allen Alabama
Ivan Kharchenkov Arizona
Billy Richmond III Arkansas
Bruce Branch III BYU
Dame Sarr Duke
Thomas Haugh Florida
Davis Fogle Gonzaga
Andrej Stojakovic Illinois
Tyran Stokes Kansas
Milan Momcilovic Kentucky
Shelton Henderson Miami
Coen Carr Michigan State
Pryce Sandfort Nebraska
Anthony Thompson Ohio State
Tounde Yessoufou St. John's
Aiden Tobiason Syracuse
Juke Harris Tennessee
Nikola Kusturica UCLA
Colben Landrew UConn
Amani Hansberry Virginia Tech
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Florida-Georgia In Atlanta Just Created A New Rivalry Debate
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There has not been any sign of waning interest, though. Ticket prices are running higher than usual, Florida already has sold out its allotment, and both schools will still come away with a $7.5 million payout from AMB Sports and Entertainment. The bigger question now is whether a rivalry built on tradition can feel the same in a different city, even if the crowd and the money remain very much in place. [Read more 🡒]