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Jeremy Fears Jr. Leads AP Preseason All-America Votes

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 2:32 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Fears, Haugh Skip Draft

Jeremy Fears Jr. earned 57 of 58 votes for the AP 2026-27 preseason All-America team.
Thomas Haugh received 56 votes, joining Fears on the first-team preseason All-America roster.
Tyler Tanner earned 43 votes, completing the five-player AP preseason All-America lineup.
Fears and Haugh returned to school, forgoing potential first-round NBA draft selections.

Summary

Golden Sets Expectations

Coach Todd Golden said the Gators must manage high preseason expectations during first practice.
Florida lost the preseason exhibition to Baylor 82-76, with Haugh scoring 19 points.
Haugh shot 4-for-13 (31%) and grabbed five rebounds in the exhibition game.
Former Gator Denzel Aberdeen won a court battle, securing a fifth season of eligibility.
Florida opens the regular season on Nov. 2 in Tampa against No. 14 Miami.

History

Historical Context

In 1979 NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien adopted a hardship rule that let financially-strained college underclassmen enter the draft, with five such players declared that June and 202 total selections made. The precedent opened early-entry pathways later used by players like Florida’s Jeremy Fears Jr. and Thomas Haugh, who this season remain with the Gators, reviving eligibility debates highlighted by Denzel Aberdeen’s court win.

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Fears, Haugh Skip Draft

Jeremy Fears Jr. earned 57 of 58 votes for the AP 2026-27 preseason All-America team.
Thomas Haugh received 56 votes, joining Fears on the first-team preseason All-America roster.
Tyler Tanner earned 43 votes, completing the five-player AP preseason All-America lineup.
Fears and Haugh returned to school, forgoing potential first-round NBA draft selections.

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