Florida forward Thomas Haugh has become one of the preseason faces of college basketball, and he wants no part of the conversation.
The senior has been piled with honors from all over the place, landing All-American recognition from multiple outlets, being picked as the SEC Preseason Player of the Year by several publications and, most recently, checking in at No. 2 in ESPN’s ranking of the top college basketball players in the country. None of it has moved him.
“Yeah, I honestly don’t care about that stuff at all,” Haugh said. “I don’t care.”
For Haugh, the buzz means very little compared with what Florida does once the season starts. He averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his first year as a starter, but he said his focus is on the team’s finish, not the praise that comes before opening night. He also decided to delay an NBA move and return to Florida, with last season’s disappointing NCAA Tournament ending still on his mind.
“A lot of people may like to brag about it, but preseason awards are the dumbest things,” Haugh said. “We’re playing basketball.
Who cares about that stuff? It’s all about the end of the season.
We have team goals.”
One of those goals for Haugh is becoming a stronger leader. Florida’s exhibition games against Baylor and Stetson exposed some rough edges, and the Gators’ returning veterans have been asked to help steady things.
“Tommy, I wouldn’t say he’s a natural vocal leader,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “But I think he’s getting better in understanding that it’s kind of an expectation that we have so he’s working hard.”
Haugh said he, along with Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, spoke up after Florida’s eventual win against Stetson.
“We were talking to each other just saying like, ‘Coach can always coach, but he’s not there playing,’” Haugh said. “So he doesn’t feel how we feel when we’re out there.
“That’s when the guys like Rueben, Condon, and everybody starts talking in the locker room. It’s beneficial.”
The self-assessment from Haugh was blunt. He said he still has work to do when it comes to addressing teammates in the right moments and bringing more energy into those situations.
“I’m still working on my leadership stuff; being able to talk to the guys,” Haugh said. “I’ve never been one to get on teammates if someone is slacking.
Even in getting overly joyed when something good happens. I need to work on that stuff.
“I think the team needs me in that regard and needs me to be a more vocal person on the bench.”
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As Georgia looms, there is at least some reason for optimism that the receiving corps could be getting closer to full strength at just the right time. If that trend holds, it could open up more of the game plan Florida has been unable to fully lean on lately, with the real question being how quickly those pieces can be worked back into rhythm before the rivalry game arrives. [Read more 🡒]