Thomas Haugh has Ruthless Aggression | The Prospect Overview
Florida Gators prospect Thomas Haugh is a hard-charging wing. Add in a well-rounded skill set, and he's one of the best prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft.
On Saturday night, John Cena will have his final professional wrestling match.
As a long-time wrestling fan, it has some sentimental value to me. While I very much keep the current WWE product at arm’s length and think the promotion largely fumbled his retirement tour, Cena’s rise to prominence was a big part of my tween/teen years. As a result, I’ve done a lot of reminiscing on his career the past few weeks. I loved his edgy, rapper persona from 2002 to 2004. In 2005, he pivoted to a more All-American, classic good-guy character. While I thought his promo work and formulaic match structure could fall flat at times, I felt that critics who panned his in-ring work at the time largely missed the mark. Cena “wrestled to the back row of the arena,” and I always loved that about him. His movements were grand, larger than life. His storytelling was simple but effective, he emoted well, and always put a great deal of heart into his performances. In particular, his Royal Rumble brawl with Umaga is one of my all-time favorites. Later on in his career, he evolved his in-ring style to fit with the times, doing flashier, bigger moves. I had mixed feelings about that, as the “finisher-kickout, finisher-kickout, finisher-kickout” style has eroded the value of, well, finisher-kickouts in wrestling. But if nothing else, it got Cena acclaim from the people who previously derided his work. Now, we’re at the end of the road.
But the reason I’m writing about John Cena has nothing to do with the end of his journey. Instead, it’s the beginning of it that I want to focus on. While Cena cut his teeth on the indies and in WWE’s developmental territory, his first big break came in 2002. They debuted John Cena on an episode of their SmackDown television show. Kurt Angle was one of the company’s premier talents and a stalwart at the top of the card. Angle came out to the ring and issued an open challenge, allowing anyone in the locker room to challenge him to a match. Comically, Angle is wearing amateur wrestling headgear to keep a wig on his head because he was in the middle of a storyline where he lost a match and had to shave his head as a result. Only in pro wrestling, folks.
The then-unknown Cena walked down the ramp. Angle asked Cena what quality he possessed that would lead him to think he could hang with Kurt Angle. Cena responded, “Ruthless aggression!” before smacking Angle upside the head.
This, of course, had me thinking. Which NBA Draft prospect possesses the most ruthless aggression? The first name that came to mind was Florida’s 6’9”, 215-pound forward Thomas Haugh.
Offensive Rebounding and Foul Drawing
When I think about ruthless aggression within a basketball context, I think of physicality. To add to that, I think of physicality as it leads to high-expected-point-value-shots. That means offensive rebounds, where a player can either get an easy put-back or spray it to an open teammate. It also means possessions where a player draws fouls through their tenacity and force of will. The NBA values ruthless aggression because it leads to efficient scoring opportunities. Thomas Haugh has that ruthless aggression.
Thomas Haugh is a maniac on the offensive glass. He’ll crash in from the perimeter with a calculated motor, weaving his way through bodies before soaring toward the ball. If his man doesn’t box him out, there’s a great chance he’ll make them pay. Haugh times his leaps well and can get high off the floor. Plus, he has good hands. And it’s not just that he’s a bouncy, coordinated athlete who can slither in on the glass; it’s that Haugh will battle for contested boards. If he can’t grab the ball on the first go, though, Haugh will either tap it out to the perimeter or bat it up in the air so he can try again. Even if he’s simply corralling his own miss, Haugh’s effortless second jump can allow him to right his wrongs in short order. Plus, his passing feel, which we’ll touch on more later, shows up in this respect. Haugh is a great floor mapper, so if he winds up in heavy traffic after coming down with the ball, he knows where to move it right away. Despite playing on one of the biggest teams in college basketball over the past three seasons, Haugh has registered a 9.7 ORB% throughout the course of his career at Florida, which is a tremendous mark for a wing prospect.
Haugh’s hard-nosed approach shows up around the basket as well. He may not be the greatest finisher. Last season, Haugh made 55.7% of his halfcourt rim attempts, and he’s sitting at 53.6% this season, per Synergy. These aren’t disastrous numbers, but they’re a little below average relative to long-term NBA forwards during their college careers. Any time a player has a shortcoming, even if it’s a relatively minor one, it’s important to ask, “How can he make up for it?” With Haugh, he does it by getting to the free-throw line and getting the other team in foul trouble. Between this year and last, Haugh has registered a .621 free-throw rate. For context, Zion Williamson had a 0.467 free-throw rate at Duke and was considered an excellent foul-drawer. Haugh is a fearless downhill attacker with the strength to withstand contact. So, while he may seem like a below average finisher on the surface, once you factor in that he’s going to get to the line often, he’s made 78.1% of his free throws between this year and last, he’s going to get your team into the bonus earlier, and he might force the opposing team’s rim protectors to the bench… it’s a lot more palatable.
The Skill Stuff
Thomas Haugh’s ruthless aggression would mean much less if he didn’t have an interesting skill set surrounding it. After all, it’s difficult for a player to “motor” their way into positive NBA value. The reason I have Haugh ninth on my board now is his combination of hard-hat approach and actual basketball talent.
Haugh’s shooting projection is pretty solid. Between this year and last, he’s made 33.3% of his threes, which is around average by forward prospect standards. Given that he’ll turn 23 shortly after draft night, that might be off-putting to some. That said, the rest of Haugh’s shooting profile is above par. He’s taken 6.5 threes per 100 possessions over the past two years, and he’s also made 78.1% of his free throws over that time. Shooting volume is an excellent predictor of future success, and paired with Haugh’s touch at the line, there’s reason to have confidence. Plus, he’s taking even more threes this year than last. Haugh is an assertive, confident shooter. He always has his knees bent and his hands ready. He also knows how to relocate to maximize his openings. The ball also gets out of his hands at a good speed.
Mechanically, the only knock I really have is that his elbow is out further in front of his body than most shooters. It may not be ideal, but it’s far from the most problematic issue. In summary, I expect Haugh to be a solid shooter for his position at the next level, and given the versatility of his game, I also believe that he’ll be good enough to hold onto his rotation spot even when he goes through the occasional cold spell.
He’s a sharp passer, too. Haugh had a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio as a sophomore, and his 14.5 AST% this season is a career high. Haugh is both reliable and clever. He doesn’t monopolize the ball or dribble the air out of it. Everything is quick and decisive when he’s on the perimeter. This year, Haugh’s started to show more juice beyond the simple connector, skip pass stuff. He has a functional enough handle to attack the basket, and he keeps his head up on the move. He’s gotten better on this front, too, getting lower with his first step, exploding into the paint, and having some solid counters at his disposal. While he can simply plow into a rim protector to draw a foul, he can also make slick dishes to punish interior help. He’s also shown a degree of creativity with regard to the types of passes he throws and the angles he utilizes to deliver them. Haugh’s solid shooting profile, interior toughness, and blossoming playmaking arsenal give him a valuable, modern skill set that doesn’t often come in a 6’9”, 215-pound package.
There’s a lot to like on defense, too. Haugh covers ground on the perimeter and does a good job of closing out on balance. He’s also not afraid to use his body on this side of the ball, either, getting physical with drivers to make their lives difficult. He routinely wins the bump battle, even against similarly sized players. I also love how big he makes himself at the point of attack. Often, taller players can be too narrow, upright, and handsy when they guard on the perimeter. Haugh does a good job of getting into his chair and playing with his arms extended so that he’s tough to get around. He’ll make the occasional play in a passing lane or help at the basket for a rejection (career 3.5 BLK%). He’s a good defensive rebounder, too. Haugh isn’t the most seamless when he has to shift directions in a hurry off the ball, nor does he navigate screens exceptionally well. That said, I can live with those issues at his size. Simply put, he’s an NBA-sized forward who knows where to be, works hard to get there, and can stay in front of a wide variety of players.
Conclusion
I can understand having some reservations about higher-end outcomes for Thomas Haugh. He’s never carried a massive usage load, he’s been an inconsistent jump shooter, and his handle isn’t out of this world. But ultimately, it’s hard for me to imagine that Thomas Haugh doesn’t have a place in the modern NBA. Specialists aren’t entirely gone, but they’re becoming fewer and farther between. The name of the game now is versatility. Up and down the positional spectrum, players are now being asked to do a greater variety of tasks than ever before. Are you a guard? Get ready to help at the rim when the offense schemes you into position to be the low man. Are you a center? Be prepared to orchestrate offense from the top of the key.
In years past, it was a relatively common draft philosophy to stay away from the “jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none” types of players. And to be fair, there are some guys that simply aren’t “NBA good” at anything but aren’t tragic in any one respect. These players may be able to stay on the floor for a few minutes here and there, but they aren’t particularly valuable. With that being said, it has never been more important for players to check a large number of boxes. And I’d argue that Haugh’s physicality, ability to read the game on both ends, rebounding, and foul drawing are “NBA good” traits.
With Thomas Haugh, I see a versatile, valuable NBA player. Offensively, he’s going to generate high-value shots for both himself and his teammates. He’s going to take the open three, drive hard to the rim, crash the glass for put-backs, get to the line, and avoid low-efficiency shots. He’s also going to keep the offense humming, read the defense on the move, and avoid turnovers. Defensively, he’s going to prevent a wide array of players from easily creating advantages at the point of attack and hustle to the right spots off the ball. Plus, he’s added new wrinkles to his game each season and competes with a relentless motor. His skill set is intriguing enough, but it’s his ruthless aggression that puts him over the top. Thomas Haugh is the type of player every team in the league should want.
Quick Hits
-I’m becoming a big Patrick Ngongba enthusiast. I always liked the fact that the 6’11” Duke sophomore is a big dude who can really pass it. He’s done even more of that this year, with his assist rate climbing to 18.5%. Ngongba’s long arms also make him a great lob target. Two recent developments have me even more fired up, though. One is his increased willingness to let the three-ball fly. Big Pat went 1-for-2 from deep against Arkansas and 2-for-3 from deep against Florida. The addition of a respectable jumper makes him perhaps the most well-rounded offensive big man in this class. I’ve been really pleased with his defensive effort, too. He’s showing good timing as a helper and playing with a sense of urgency as a shot blocker. He’s been a first-round guy throughout this cycle for me, but he might climb dangerously high if he keeps it up.
-It’s great to see Braylon Mullins healthy. UConn’s 6’6” freshman is known for his ability to shoot the cover off the ball. But the thing I loved most about his standout performance against Kansas is how damn fast he is. He’s tough to keep up with when he runs through off-ball actions. He covers ground at warp speed, which allows him to play aggressively off the ball on defense. He also has the ability to step over ball screens, and he generated heaps of steals prior to college. I’m interested to see what his scoring game looks like inside the arc in the halfcourt. Teams are going to want to run him off the line, and I’m curious as to how he’ll hold up in the bump battle when met with physicality. Right now, he’d rather launch a tough, smothered jumper than attack a hard closeout.
-Henri Veesaar is an artful interior scorer. I loved how he went to work against Kentucky this week. He’s always ready to pound out a mismatch, he’s strong enough to dislodge opponents on the block, and he has fantastic instincts on the offensive glass. The fact that he can pass and shoot a little bit makes him all the more interesting. I’m still a bit lukewarm on his defense, but he’s far from bad on that end of the ball. He’s a really solid prospect.
-Georgia’s Blue Cain is a really cool player. My favorite thing about the 6’5” combo guard is how he can weave through traffic to get to the rim. He’s a shifty, slithery mover who makes defenders miss downhill. As defenses collapse, he can make quick decisions and throw accurate passes to punish them. He’s also got some shooting chops, too. Defensively, he’s a quick mover, and he did a great job of staying in front of super athlete Robert McCray V when covering him during the Bulldogs’ matchup against Florida State. He’s also great at using his burst to blow up handoffs and pick off lazy passes. Plus, he’s a hard-nosed rebounder on both sides of the floor. He’ll need to start actually hitting his threes on a more consistent basis (34.3% for his career on an impressive 9.9 attempts per 100 possessions) to really gain traction, but I’m a fan.
-If I can be a Chicago area homer for a second, let me give some love to Northwestern’s Arrinten Page. At 6’11” and 245 pounds, he’s got good size. Even better, he’s got a super intriguing modern skill set. He’s able to face up, put it on the floor, and sling mesmerizing passes from the top of the key. His 24.2 USG%, 18.7 AST%, and 9.2 TOV% at his size definitely caught my eye. And while he’s only a 27.8% shooter from long range, his willingness to take jumpers in the mid-range and beyond is interesting. Plus, he still has the goods on the interior, making 68.1% of his twos on the year while frequently sending home above-the-rim finishes. Defensively, he knows where to be and can use his length well guarding the ball. He’s a name to start monitoring, even if it’s in a 2027 context.
-The transfer portal is a funny thing. William Kyle III started to appear on NBA radars after his first two seasons at South Dakota State. He then moved to UCLA, where his similarities to Adem Bona had me convinced he’d found the perfect home. Kyle didn’t get much run there, but he was still an effective per-minute producer. Now at Syracuse, he’s cooking with gas. The 6’9” senior may lack positional size, but he’s an outstanding lateral mover. Plus, his ground coverage is outrageous, as he brings ridiculous speed to the center position. He flies off the floor for rejections (10.1 BLK%), and he tallied six blocks against Tennessee this past week. He’s also a great rim-runner and lob target who’s eager to put his opponents on a poster. He’s a bit of an inconsistent passer, and the fact that he’s a career 54.8% at the free-throw line means he’s unlikely to ever stretch the floor. Those are serious limiting factors given his size. But I could still see Kyle getting a cup of coffee (and maybe more) at the next level, given his motor and ability to play at an NBA speed.
-Cal Poly’s Peter Bandelj went on a heater this week, going 9-10 from deep in a 37-point outing against Cal State Fullerton that has kick-started his prospect buzz. The 6’4” sophomore’s 50% mark from deep is likely unsustainable, but his shoot variety, volume, and 81.7% mark at the free throw line through two college seasons mean he’s probably good from behind the arc if nothing else. Run him off the line, and he can win the bump battle downhill thanks to his sturdy 210-pound frame. He draws heaps of fouls (.576 FTr through two seasons) and sees the floor pretty well on the move. Defensively, he’s improved as an event creator, with a 2.5 STL% and 1.0 BLK%. Bandelj is an unremarkable athlete. He doesn’t fly off the floor or slide his feet with the greatest of ease. But his shooting profile, rugged physicality, and feel give him a shot to be in the mix as long as he keeps progressing. The fact that he had a great game against USC earlier this year at least points to some degree of scalability.
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