An Iowa game winner with 4.5 seconds left seemed to have ended Thomas Haugh’s college career. Haugh was expected to be a lottery pick in multiple mock drafts and take that next step to the NBA. While it was a heartbreaking finish for Florida, a No. 1 seed and defending champion, Haugh was expected to make a mark in the NBA immediately. However, the Florida star has just gone against all the expectations. 

Thomas Haugh averaged a team-high 17.1 points last season, adding 6.2 rebounds per game, which ranked 19th in the SEC. He scored 20 or more points 13 times and had four double-doubles, leading Florida to a 27-8 record. Now, he returns to the program on a deal that is the same as he would have gotten in the NBA.

According to ESPN, Haugh is set to earn well over $4 million in NIL next season. The average Year 1 salary for an NBA rookie picked in the 11-15 range, where Haugh was projected, was $4,309,660. 

“The unique angle that we were able to drive home to Tommy’s family and Aaron Klevan, this dude has real bottom-line NIL value. That’s an area right now where elite college athletes have an advantage over mid-tier pros,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “Tommy Haugh’s legitimate NIL value at Florida is 10-20x what his NIL value would be on an NBA team next year. Because of the brand awareness at Florida, he will have been here for four years, all of those things, along with him returning, our supporters really appreciate the loyalty.”

That is the reality of today and college basketball fans immediately had mixed opinions on this decision. 

Smart Loyalty or Risky Gamble? Fans Clash Over Thomas Haugh’s Florida Return

“He better jump in the portal tonight. He (and all his teammates) needs to hedge a possible Golden exit,” commented a fan. The fans are frustrated with the program after the disappointing finish of the 2025-26 season. However, it is slight recency bias as far as results are concerned. They won a national championship just 2 seasons ago and Golden is the fastest coach in UF history to reach 100 wins while also being just the second coach in UF history to win a national title, SEC Tournament title and SEC regular season title. All that in just 4 seasons.

From Haugh’s perspective, he is backed by Golden. So, there is little chance he looks for opportunities beyond Florida. However, this decision could backfire if some reports are true. 

“As his coach is one foot out the door to go to the pros. He should’ve gotten in the portal and kept those options open too,” commented another fan. According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Warriors could pursue Florida head coach Todd Golden if Steve Kerr leaves the Warriors.

Kerr is in the final year of his contract and the Gators are looking to sign another extension for Golden. While Golden has committed to loving his life in Florida, things could change as his contract has just a $2 million buyout if an NBA team comes around. If Golden leaves, Haugh will need to play under a new coach. His draft stock could drop instead of rising.

“Development? He’s already a lottery pick, he will be 23 next year, what is gonna change? best situation he gets drafted in the same spot next year, worst is it he has a bad injury and falls out of the first round. Stupid move, but it’s his life he can do whatever he wants,” wrote another. Ultimately, it comes down to believing whether Haugh can improve or not. However, there is another motivation behind his return. 

“I think that lit a fire underneath me,” Haugh told ESPN regarding his second round NCAA Tournament game. “I [didn’t] want my last memory of Florida basketball to be that.” 

“A lottery pick choosing to stay in college is actually wild in 2026. Either he genuinely loves Florida, or the NIL bag is absolutely massive. Probably both, 🤷🏾‍♂️” wrote another fan. It is both. He is set to earn more than most college basketball players but he also loves the Gators. 

“Most guys in my position in the draft, it would be a no-brainer to go to the NBA,” Haugh told ESPN. “It’s not just the NIL. It’s a chance to play with my boys. To play for coach [Todd] Golden. To go to the school I love to play for. It was definitely a tougher decision than last year, but it was best for my career and future.”

“Braylon Mullins, Pat Ngongba, and now Thomas Haugh! Potential 1st round picks are going back to school more than ever now,” commented a fan. All three were first-round picks but returned to college ball and will earn around the same money. That is the state of the college basketball pipeline. Ultimately, it could affect the NBA product with top players avoiding the draft to stay in college.