New Oxford's Haugh reaches March Madness title game with Florida men's basketball

One game remains in the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season. New Oxford native Thomas Haugh will be a key part of it.

Haugh helped lead Florida to a 79-73 comeback win over Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday night in San Antonio. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward tallied 12 points and seven rebounds for the Gators, who will face Houston for the national championship at 8:50 p.m. Monday. 

Most of Haugh’s 12 points and seven rebounds came during Florida’s second-half surge. He finished 4-of-7 on field goals, 1-of-4 on 3-pointers and 3-of-7 on free throws while contributing an assist, a steal and two blocks, including a highlight-reel rejection on a fast break. His short hook shot in the last minute gave the Gators a 76-68 lead, their largest of the night, and the ball was in his hands as the clock struck zero.

In the NCAA Tournament, Haugh is averaging 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.2 minutes per contest, all exceeding his season numbers. He tied career highs with 20 points and 11 rebounds during Florida’s dramatic comeback against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight on March 29, a performance highlighted by two clutch 3-pointers late. He also nailed a pair of free throws to seal a second-round win over two-time defending champion UConn on March 23; that was the lone tournament game in which he did not score in double figures.

Florida (35-4) has won 11 straight and 17 of 18 games. The Gators are in the national final for the first time since 2007, when they won the second of their back-to-back national titles under coach Billy Donovan. Third-year boss Todd Golden has leaned heavily on his backcourt — All-American Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Alijah Martin added 17 Saturday — with Haugh emerging as a pivotal piece in the frontcourt.

Haugh played two seasons of high school hoops at New Oxford; in his sophomore year, the Colonials reached the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals before the remainder of the tournament was canceled. He enrolled at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg in 2020 and blossomed as a prospect, committing to Florida in 2022 before turning in a brilliant postgraduate season. After averaging 3.9 points and 3.7 rebounds for an NCAA Tournament team as a freshman, Haugh has made a massive leap (9.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and even landed on some NBA draft boards.

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Haugh will be the first former District 3 basketball standout to compete in a national championship basketball game since Spring Grove’s Eli Brooks took the floor for Michigan in 2018 against Villanova. He previously became the first York-Adams native to play for a No. 1 seed and reach the Sweet 16 since New Freedom’s Jarace Walker, who starred for Houston in 2023 before going eighth in the NBA draft that June.

Houston roared back from a 14-point deficit to grind out a 70-67 victory against Duke in Saturday’s nightcap. The Cougars (35-4) are in the national final for the third time but seeking their first championship after their famous “Phi Slama Jama” teams fell short in 1983 and 1984. 

Florida has opened as a 1.5-point favorite in Monday’s championship game, which will offer a fascinating contrast of styles. The Gators rank third nationally with 85.2 points per contest and second in offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Houston, meanwhile, has the nation’s best defense — allowing 58.5 points a night, with the top efficiency rank to boot — and plays at the fifth-slowest tempo in Division I.

Amid the star power and historic stakes, the X-factor might just be the sophomore from New Oxford, Pennsylvania. And if recent play is any indication, Haugh is ready for the moment.

Florida wins national title and denies Houston its first, rallying for 65-63 victory