Gators' Haugh One of Nation's Most Impactful Sixth Men
![Jan 25, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dribbles the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Jan 25, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dribbles the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3233,h_1818,x_1306,y_221/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_gators/01jjsmz774my097cat5m.jpg)
GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Each team needs a sixth man off the bench, and for the No. 5 Florida Gators men’s basketball team, that guy is sophomore Thomas Haugh.
The New Oxford, Pa., native has not only been one of the best off the bench for the Gators this season, but he has also been one of the most impactful sixth men in the country, according to Evan Miyakawa’s rankings provided on X.
Haugh comes in at No. 2 in Miyakawa’s rankings for “Most Impactful 6th Men in CBB.” His Bayesian Performance Rating (BPR) is 6.98, which is a sum of his offensive BPR (4.69) and defensive BPR (2.29).
Here are the most impactful 6th men in the country at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax:
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) January 28, 2025
Tahaad Pettiford tops the list. His electricity off the bench for Auburn is undeniable. Thomas Haugh has also been huge for Florida. pic.twitter.com/z5yS4iK6aU
According to Miyakawa analytics, “This rating is the ultimate measure of a player’s overall value to his team when he is on the floor,” the glossary said. “BPR is interpreted as the number of points per 100 possessions better than the opponent the player’s team is expected to be if the player were on the court with 9 other average players. A higher rating is better.”
Haugh's rating shouldn't come as a surprise even with average stat lines such as his 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. If you move past the numbers, it’s the little things he does on the court that backs up his case as one of the best sixth men in the country.
He moves the ball well, will get his hands dirty and muck up the paint on rebounding opportunities and plays very sound defense against every assignment he’s given.
These things won’t show up in the box after the game, although it is something a coach notices every time, especially his head coach Todd Golden.
“He’s the definition of a winning player…,” Golden said back in November about Haugh’s performance against Florida A&M. “He does all the quote-unquote ‘little things’ that impact winning…he’s fantastic, he comes to play and compete every day and generally gives us a better chance to win when he’s on the floor.”
For those that feel the need to look at the box score, his recent outing against Georgia shows he can put up big numbers when needed. He scored 13 points and brought down 11 boards for his second career double-double in the win over the Bulldogs.
“No, this guy's a monster,” teammate Alijah Martin said after the win over Georgia, asked about Haugh’s double-double.
So, while there is a heavy emphasis placed upon the starters in each game, it’s equally important have bench guys impact the game, and the Gators have one of the best in that in Haugh.