Thomas Haugh’s return to Florida fueled by loss, legacy and NIL riches

“I’m definitely planning on coaching the Gators,” Golden said.

Entering his fifth offseason in Gainesville, Golden could have has his best roster yet — one that could improve further.

This hinges on 6-foot-10, 265-pound center Rueben Chinyelu, who is exploring professional options, including a trip to the NBA combine on May 10-17 in Chicago. Chinyelu led all power-conference players with an average of 11.2 rebounds, set a school-record with 19 double-doubles and was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Still, the native of Nigeria’s offensive game is a work in progress.

“He’s going to test and check out what’s out there for him,” Golden said. “But Tommy coming back and Condo coming back appealed to him to come back as well. They’re all boys, and they all want to be together.

“There’s different variables out there.”

With or without Chinyelu, Florida’s core is formidable.

The 6-foot-9 Haugh and 6-foot-11 Condon were the Gators’ top two scorers in 2025-26 and are among the SEC’s more versatile players. Point guard Boogie Fland, who explored his NBA options in 2025 after leaving Arkansas, and sharpshooter Urban Klavzar return to the perimeter.

Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen adds experience and familiarity. After three seasons at Florida, Abeerden transferred to Lexington, where he averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 43.3% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range in his first year as as a full-time starter.

“He delivered for them every night,” Golden said. “That was a big jump for Zell from the year before, where he came off the bench for us. I know it’s weird because he played at Kentucky for a year, but it’s continuity. He was in our program for a long time, and has a really good sense of what we do and how we operate.”

The 6-foot-5 former Dr. Phillips standout is seeking a fifth year of eligibility after playing just 41 minutes across 12 games as a freshman in 2022-23. Pending NCAA legislation allowing five years to play four seasons could support his case, and Golden is optimistic.

“It would be a really weird stance to try to fight him from playing,” Golden said. “Now, if he had played 30 games and played 15 minutes a night, we wouldn’t be going down this path. But to me there’s a common sense approach on Denzel that should be solved pretty quickly.”

Aberdeen also is set to earn his degree.

Florida’s depth extends beyond its big names.

Returning also are Orlando brothers Isaiah Brown and AJ Brown, who redshirted last season after transferring from Ohio University. Shooting guard Alex Lloyd, a talented scorer from Miami, and athletic small forward CJ Ingram, two top-40 recruits in the 2025 class, also will return, despite veteran players ahead of them.

Ingram’s decision was not a given. The Hawthorne native could have entered the transfer portal, but conversations with Haugh solidified the 18-year-old’s commitment to UF.

“CJ and Tommy are very close,” Golden said. “CJ looks at Tommy as kind of a bigger brother, and I know they spoke last week prior to Tommy coming back, and prior to CJ’s decision to stay, about what next year would look like.

“When you have kind of that internal leadership and guys being on the same page, it makes it easier.”

Rather than rebuilding or retooling, Golden can focus on refinement, a luxury in the era of roster turnover.

Bringing back a nucleus led by Haugh and Condon positions the Gators as a national title contender in 2027 and ease the challenges of the offseason.

“I love the collection of the team,” Golden said. “We have a really good club.”