Florida tops SEC preseason basketball poll for 2025-26 campaign
By Derek Hryn
Published:
The SEC released its preseason men’s basketball media poll for the 2025-26 season, and Florida sits on top as the pick to be crowned conference champions, according to Monday’s post from Jon Rothstein.
The Gators, led by junior big man Alex Condon and sophomore guard Boogie Fland, headline a deep group that also features Kentucky and Tennessee rounding out the top three.
Kentucky, with preseason SEC Player of the Year Otega Oweh, was a close second in the voting, while Tennessee checked in at No. 3 behind the strong tandem of Ja’Kobi Gillespie and freshman forward Nate Ament. Alabama and Arkansas rounded out the top five.
Auburn, Missouri and Ole Miss landed in the middle of the pack, while new league members Texas and Oklahoma came in at No. 9 and No. 12 respectively. Georgia, LSU and South Carolina filled out the bottom three spots in the poll.
Florida’s placement comes after the Gators surged late last season with a national title, and return key pieces of their production under head coach Todd Golden. With three players earning preseason All-SEC honors, Florida heads into the year with as much balance and depth as any team in one of the best conferences in basketball.
