Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu earn AP All-American honors

Thomas Haugh, arguably the top player on the No. 4 Florida Gators’ roster, is having a season to remember. Tuesday, he was rewarded for his efforts.

The Associated Press announced its basketball-Americans and Haugh, a junior forward, made the third team. Meanwhile, Gators center Rueben Chinyelu was an Honorable Mention selection.

Haugh averages a team-best 17.1 points a game, along with 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the field for the 26-7 Gators. He has scored 20 or more points 13 times this season and has been in double-figures in all but four UF games.

Thomas Haugh has improved greatly since arriving in Gainesville

Haugh has made a big jump every season in Gainesville. He averaged 3.9 points as a freshman and 9.8 last season. In each of those two seasons, he was a power-forward. After the Gators won the 2025 national title, he transitioned to small-forward and has taken his game to an even higher level.

Thomas Haugh now has 1,078 career points in a Florida uniform.

Chinyelu, also a junior, is in his second season with the program after playing his freshman year at Washington State. He’s averaging 11.2 points and 11.5 rebounds a game. He is third nationally in boards and his 379 rebounds this season are the third most in a single season in Gators basketball history.

In addition to his scoring and rebounding, the 6-foot-10 Chinyelu is considered to be among the top defensive players in college basketball.

Florida, the No. 1 team in the South region, opens the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Tampa, Fla.