Florida is now a preseason No. 1 favorite in college basketball. Here's why

Florida is now a preseason No. 1 favorite in college basketball. Here's why originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Florida Gators basketball program received huge news on Tuesday.

Thomas Haugh, a projected 2026 NBA lottery pick, will return to Gainesville next season, according to ESPN. The reload for Todd Golden's team puts them as a strong favorite for being the preseason No. 1 next season.

As for Haugh, the 2027 Player of the Year candidate back in the fold at Florida will likely slide him up in next year's NBA Draft into the possible top-five range. Before the news dropped, the Gators forward was slated to go No. 13 overall, according to ESPN's Jeremy Woo. To say another year in SEC play will boost Haugh is an understatement.

Haugh averaged 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field in 34 games last season. When you consider his all-around game, Florida should be thrilled to have him back.

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Also, he's not the only one to run it back for Golden. Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Urban Klavžar and Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen, who started his career at Florida, are going to make an impact. Rueben Chinyelu is going through the pre-draft process, but the expectation is he will also return.

It's hard to argue against Florida being the team to beat in the SEC next season. If Golden can put it all together with a mix of vets and newcomers, expect a deep NCAA Tournament run from a recent national champion.

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