Gators power forward commit shows out at youth tournament

Florida pledge Thomas Haugh, a power forward from Pennsylvania, is playing a big part in his team’s efforts at the USA Basketball Finals this week.

Haugh, a three-star recruit in the 2023 class, recently committed to play in Gainesville. He’s ranked as the 199th player in the nation by the 247Sports composite, but his upside as a stretch four is immediately evident. He fits the profile of a modern big, standing at 6-feet-9-inches with a medium build and a weapons-grade shooting stroke. Clearly, the Gators staff values his archetype to pull him from so far north of the Swamplands.

He’s immediately making their decision look like a smart one, impressing national talent evaluators at the UAA Finals. In his game against West Coast Elite, he hit four shots from behind the arc during the first half. He’s also able to get to the rim vertically in-game, putting up both dunks and blocks on Tuesday.

Despite a wide palate of schools making offers on Haugh, the only school that may have threatened Florida was Maryland. In the landscape of Big Ten hoops, the Terps are a roughly equivalent team to the Gators. However, Haugh’s style of play fits Golden’s style better than the grinding toughness and clock management that take precedence for Maryland.

Haugh’s name isn’t one you’ll be seeing on a jersey in Gainesville next season, but he’s worth keeping an eye on this year. His skill set is fun and he’s a good candidate to rise up rankings as 2023 recruiting gains steam.