Three Florida players crack The Athletic’s preseason top 50

Florida basketball’s frontcourt received another major preseason endorsement.Three Gators landed on The Athletic’s list of the top 50 college basketball players for the 2026-27 season, tying Duke, Illinois, UConn, and Arizona for the most selections on any team in the country.Thomas Haugh led the way at No. 3 overall, trailing only Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner.Haugh averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season while earning second-team All-America honors. The Athletic highlighted his ability to play both forward spots and score inside and out, calling him "one of the most valuable chess pieces in the sport."Alex Condon checked in at No. 16 after averaging 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season. The Athletic described Condon as Florida’s “connector,” pointing to his passing and ability to initiate offense from the frontcourt as the traits that separate him from most college big men.Rueben Chinyelu rounded out Florida’s trio at No. 30.The 6-foot-11-foot center averaged 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds last season, led the nation in rebounds and rebounding percentage and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Athletic called Chinyelu the “backbone” of the Gators despite Haugh and Condon receiving more national attention.Florida players in The Athletic’s top 50No. 3 — Thomas Haugh, senior wingNo. 16 — Alex Condon, senior forwardNo. 30 — Rueben Chinyelu, senior centerThe rankings reinforce why Florida enters the season with such high expectations. The Gators return all three pieces of a frontcourt that helped them earn consecutive No. 1 seeds, while Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu now enter the year as three of the most highly regarded players in college basketball.Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Three Florida players crack The Athletic’s preseason top 50