The Florida Gators and the Vanderbilt Commodores went head-to-head at the Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. In a game that saw a few lead exchanges, the 19th-seeded Gators snatched a 98-94 win over the 10th-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores. With the win, Florida improved their record to 13-5 and now sit atop the SouthEastern Conference, with the Commodores boasting a 16-2 record.

The Florida Gators were on the trip to face the 10th-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores right now. The tie was evenly contested as the in-form Gators ended up upsetting the Vanderbilt team. And while the match was still ongoing, everyone was taken by surprise as their players donned different jerseys as they entered the arena.

The Florida Gators left a few jerseys ‘at home’, sources at the Vanderbilt Commodores have told Sports Insider journalist Joey Dwyer. As a result, the Florida Gators were seen wearing different jerseys, with Boogie Fland donning the number 33, Xaivian Lee wearing 99, and Micah Handlogten having to wear the number 34.

Boogie Fland usually wears the number 0 while Xaivian Lee and Micah Handlogten don the numbers 1 and 3, respectively. However, the mixup seems to have worked out, as Xaivian Lee scored 20 on the night to hand the Gators the win over Vanderbilt.

The Florida Gators dominated the paint, and the disparity in rebounds, with Florida grabbing 40 compared to Vanderbilt’s 26, was the difference on the night. In fact, the 13 offensive rebounds that the Gators gathered under Vanderbilt’s paint offered them second-chance opportunities that helped them upset the Commodores.

Vanderbilt is the third-seeded team to have faced the Florida ire of late, with the Gators’ four-game winning streak featuring 3 seeded teams. The run has seen Florida rescue their dwindling 2025-26 NCAA campaign after early losses to high seeds Duke, UConn, and Arizona.

Thomas Haugh’s consistency can see him become a top-10 prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft

One common feature of every good Florida performance has been Thomas Haugh and his consistency on both ends of the court. Haugh is currently averaging 17.4 points per game, shooting at an accuracy of 47.8% from open play. The 6ft 9 forward also has the ability to grab rebounds and has made it count, averaging 6.6 boards per game.

The 22-year-old has progressed nicely at the Florida Gators. Haugh was not a starter even in his sophomore season. However, the current season has seen him become a prominent figure for Florida. Not only has he become a starter, but also an indistinguishable commodity for Todd Golden.

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While Haugh was not in conversation to become a top-10 prospect when the season started, his numbers and Florida’s wins over seeded teams have seen him be involved in serious conversations in and around the top-10 mark as a prospect for the upcoming NBA Draft.

This season’s NBA Draft features a lot of big men for the NBA teams to pick from. However, in Haugh, the teams can use their lottery pick to gain someone who can influence both ends of the court and has shown a penchant for consistency, something that is a rare commodity in NBA rookies.