College basketball is (almost) back and one of the best first games of the season will be when the University of Miami Hurricanes and University of Florida Gators head to Tampa for a neutral-site matchup. Below we take a look at NBA prospects to watch on both teams.

Florida Gators

Thomas Haugh, Senior

Haugh is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound rising senior who was projected to be drafted between picks 11-20 in the 2026 NBA Draft prior to deciding to return to Florida for his senior season.

Haugh's a do-it-all wing/forward to some degree, with the most impressive trait being his ability to drive to the basket at his size. This has been most helpful when attacking closeouts. In addition to the ability to put the ball on the floor, Haugh is a solid shooter -- both off the catch and off the dribble -- and has show flashes of on and off ball defense. He's active defensively at times, recording a 1.8 steal percentage and 2.9 block percentage overall last season. Additionally, Haugh impacts the game as an offensive rebounder as well, recording an offensive rebounding percentage of seven.

Haugh's an off-ball wing who can attack closeouts, cut, and finish at the rim offensively while providing some versatility defensively with his length as well as solid activity off ball. X-factors are going to be how well he moves laterally defensively and how well he can space the floor to make defenders close out offensively, which would allow him to capitalize on his driving.

Honing in on his shooting -- Haugh shot 34% from three on six attempts per 100 possessions his sophomore season while making 79.4% of his free throws (155 attempts). Last season, as a junior, Haugh shot 32.6% from three but on 8.7 three point attempts per 100 possessions and 77.4% from the line on 199 attempts. This increase in volume was a positive sign, but both percentages decreasing slightly was not ideal. More importantly, Haugh shot 33% on catch-and-shoot threes this past season -- improving this to at least around 36%+ is key.

Lastly, Thomas Haugh met the criteria for the Productive Sophomore Query at the end of the 2024-25 college basketball season. 45% of players (26/58) who have met the Productive Sophomore Query became NBA Starters or multi-time All-Stars, while another 27.6% became Backups in the NBA. This means 72% of players to have met the criteria (42/58) played five-plus seasons in the league. Overall, Haugh is a projected first round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft if he declares.

Alex Condon, Senior

The rising senior also hit the Productive Sophomore Query his sophomore season alongside Thomas Haugh in 2024-25 -- a positive sign analytically. He's an impressive passer, rebounder, and also offers some level of weakside rim protection, alongside being 6-foot-11. His shooting and finishing at the rim are two key areas to watch -- both would open up his offensive game significantly to be able to put the ball on the floor more and be a true dribble handoff hub.

Rueben Chinyelu, Senior

The 6-foot-10, 265-pound big and reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year is a versatile defender and an elite rebounder -- recording a 17.4 offensive rebound percentage and 30.7 defensive rebound percentage last season. He also sets quality screens and is a great finisher at the rim, making 66.8% of his 190 attempts last season. Getting more reps as a roll man and lob threat will be important to monitor this season, as is his shooting and passing. Chinyelu has a career 4.3 assist percentage and 16.4 turnover percentage in college, has taken two career three point attempts, but shot a workable 69.5% from the line last season (118 attempts).

Defensively, Chinyelu can effectively execute multiple pick-and-roll coverages at a high level. Although he had only a solid 4.2 block percentage, he's excellent at deterring shots with a near 7-foot-7 wingspan -- opponents shot 38.1% at the rim against him (63 attempts) (Synergy). He's best guarding forwards and bigs overall, but monitoring how his overall switchability continues to improve this season will be key as well.

Miami Hurricanes

Shelton Henderson, Sophomore

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound wing is a physical driver and transition scorer. As a freshman, he averaged 13.8 points per game while shooting 69% at the rim (203 attempts) and 45.7% on non-rim twos (81 attempts). Additionally, he can drive out of the pick-and-roll and has shown flashes of playmaking, but still has room to grow in this area overall. Henderson is also great at attacking closeouts and makes an impact both as a cutter and offensive rebounder (7 ORB% last season).

The shooting is the clear swing skill for Henderson, as he shot 25.5% from beyond the arc on only 51 total attempts, and 57.6% from the free throw line on 158 attempts. His lateral quickness defensively is also an area to watch.

Caleb Gaskins, Freshman

Gaskins is a consensus five-star and is a projected first round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound wing/forward could offer defensive versatility, as he has the strength to guard forwards in the post while also showing flashes of lateral movement on the perimeter (and has a 7-foot-plus wingspan). Offensively, his three-point shot has been inconsistent throughout his high school career, but he can attack closeouts and hit midrange jumpers. How well he moves laterally defensively, the consistency of this three point shot, his percentages at the rim, and his playmaking off of attacking closeouts are all important areas to monitor.

Acaden Lewis, Sophomore

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard transferred to Miami after a strong freshman season at Villanova where he averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, three rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game (3.8 steal percentage). He created a significant amount of offense for the Wildcats, as he was unassisted on 73.9% of made field goals while assisting an estimated 33.7% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor last season.

He's a skilled pick-and-roll scorer and playmaker, utilizing change-of-pace and craft to manipulate defenders and create opportunities for teammates. He was fairly efficient as a finisher at the rim (61.4% on 166 attempts) and has a capable in-between game as well (35.9% on non-rim twos on 78 attempts). The next step of his development is his three point shot, as he shot 27% beyond the arc last season (100 attempts) and only 58.3% at the free throw line (103 attempts).

Defensively, he was aware of passing lanes off ball and was pesky at the point-of-attack, leading to his 3.8 steal percentage. However, his lack of positional size could potentially lead to him being targeted at the NBA level. His overall defense will continue to be important to monitor in his sophomore season, especially against NBA-level guards.

Other players to watch include junior guard Boogie Fland and freshman big Arturas Butajevas for Florida, as well as Miami forward Malik Reneau.