The first look at Miami and Florida’s frontcourts for the 2026-27 season says plenty about why Nov. 2 in Tampa already feels loaded. The Hurricanes and Gators are headed for another rematch, and this one brings back proven veterans, new faces, and a whole lot of size.
Florida won the last meeting in the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown, rolling past Miami 82-66 behind a front line that controlled the game. Now Jai Lucas and the Hurricanes get another shot, but the Gators’ edge up front still looks real.
At small forward, Florida’s Thomas Haugh returns after turning down first-round NBA Draft buzz for a senior season. He put together an All-American year, averaging 17.1 points on 46 percent shooting, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and a block across 34 starts.
At 6-9 and 215 pounds, he brings length, shooting, and the ability to work both on and off the ball. Haugh hit 34.2 percent from three last season, which gives him another layer Miami has to respect.
Across from him, Miami is banking on Shelton Henderson to take another leap. The rising star came back to Coral Gables after a strong freshman season, posting 13.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 35 starts. At 19, he’s still growing into the matchup, but the Hurricanes know what they have: a productive young wing who can score efficiently.
Power forward tilts toward Florida too, with Alex Condon back in Gainesville for his senior year after passing on the NBA Draft. He’s a different kind of big, one who moves like a guard but finishes like a traditional center.
Most of his damage comes at the rim, but he also has a knack for making reads and getting teammates involved. The source comparison even nods to Nikola Jokic, though not in exact terms of style or production.
Either way, Condon’s numbers jump off the page: 15.1 points on 55.6 percent shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 34 starts.
Miami’s answer there is less settled, but freshman Caleb Gaskins is the projected starter. The five-star recruit from Christopher Columbus High School arrives at 6-8 and 219 pounds with a 7-1 wingspan.
He’s a McDonald’s All-American and helped lead his school to a fifth straight state title. The Hurricanes like his defensive versatility and see offensive upside too, but for now Condon owns the advantage.
The center matchup brings another heavyweight feel. Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu tested the NBA Combine process, then chose to return for another run at a national championship.
He’s coming off his best season yet, averaging 10.9 points on 58.4 percent shooting and leading the SEC with 11.2 rebounds in 35 starts. He also picked up major defensive honors, earning Naismith, NABC, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
Miami’s expected starter in the middle is Somto Cyril, who already knows what Florida’s frontcourt can do. He spent two years at Georgia and saw the Gators twice last season, with both games going badly for him.
The first meeting ended with Cyril being ejected after a flagrant foul penalty two for throwing an elbow at Chinyelu’s neck. Even so, he had a strong SEC season of his own, leading the conference with a 2.2-block average while averaging 9.3 points on 75.9 percent shooting and 5.4 rebounds in 33 games, 32 of them starts.
Neither center is going to pile up touches on offense. Their value comes from how hard they make life for everyone else. Chinyelu has the upper hand right now, but Cyril has enough force and length to change the conversation.
For Miami and Florida, this is another chapter in one of college sports’ best rivalries, and the frontcourts again look like the place where it could swing.
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