College Basketball AP Top 25: No. 1 Florida leads 7 SEC teams in preseason poll
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The college basketball season will begin very soon, on the morning of Nov. 1 in Rome, of all places, and on Monday, less than 2 weeks away from the opening tip in Italy, the AP preseason Top 25 was revealed with a huge SEC flavor.
At the top of the list, not surprisingly, is Florida, which won the national title in 2025 but fell short in its repeat bid last March. The Gators are loaded for the 2026-27 season under head coach Todd Golden, with a slew of returning players and prime additions to back up a stacked roster.
Florida earned 47 of a possible 59 first-place votes in earning that preseason No. 1 spot. This is the first time since 2006 that Florida will open the season as the preseason No. 1 team.
The Gators led a parade of 7 SEC teams in the Top 25, with Texas and Tennessee being No. 7 and 8, respectively.
Perennial powerhouse Duke earned the No. 2 ranking behind Florida, getting 10 first-place votes, while No. 3 Illinois earned the other 2 first-place votes.
UConn, which won the national title in 2023 and 2024, earned the No. 4 ranking, followed by Arizona at No. 5. Michigan State (No. 6), Virginia (No. 9) and Houston (No. 10) filled out the top 10.
Here’s a look at the full top 25:
- Florida
- Duke
- Illinios
- UConn
- Arizona
- Michigan State
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Houston
- Louisville
- Arkansas
- St. John’s
- Miami
- Gonzaga
- Michigan
- Kansas
- Iowa State
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- USC
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- BYU
Others receiving votes:
Missouri 167, Nebraska 70, Purdue 53, Ohio State 39, North Carolina 20, TCU 17, Saint Louis 13, VCU 12, Iowa 12, Virginia Tech 10, Indiana 8, Texas A&M 6, Villanova 6, Auburn 4, Marquette 3, Nevada 2, Grand Canyon 2, Utah State 2, Santa Clara 1.
With the AP preseason poll revealed, the battle will soon be on for a spot in the Final Four. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to make the Final Four come next April, with a shot at the national title:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
