Florida basketball ranked No. 21 in preseason AP Poll

Dec 30, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden gestures during the first half against the Quinnipiac Bobcats at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since 2019, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team will begin the regular season as a ranked team. The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll on Monday, and the Orange and Blue check in at No. 21 in the country entering Year 3 of the Todd Golden era.

Florida briefly appeared in last year’s poll, occupying the No. 24 spot for two weeks in February. A first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament meant the Gators finished outside of the top 25, but retaining guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard has UF starting off the season higher than any point last season.

Florida joins eight other SEC programs in the preseason AP Poll — No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Texas, No. 23 Kentucky and No. 24 Ole Miss. The Gators will face each of those teams during the regular season.

No. 9 North Carolina is also on Florida’s schedule this year, and three more opponents earned votes in the preseason poll.

Florida begins its season with a neutral site matchup on Nov. 4 against South Florida in Jacksonville. The home opener is three days later against Jacksonville University.

Preseason AP Top 25 Poll

Rank	Team	Record	Trend	Points
1	Kansas	0-0	–	1,449 (30)
2	Alabama	0-0	–	1,428 (14)
3	UConn	0-0	–	1,345 (11)
4	Houston	0-0	–	1,343 (4)
5	Iowa State	0-0	–	1,177
6	Gonzaga	0-0	–	1,157 (1)
7	Duke	0-0	–	1,154
8	Baylor	0-0	–	1,109
9	North Carolina	0-0	–	1,037
10	Arizona	0-0	–	905
11	Auburn	0-0	–	901
12	Tennessee	0-0	–	775
13	Texas A&M	0-0	–	737
14	Purdue	0-0	–	678
15	Creighton	0-0	–	631
16	Arkansas	0-0	–	625
17	Indiana	0-0	–	492
18	Marquette	0-0	–	484
19	Texas	0-0	–	332
20	Cincinnati	0-0	–	271
21	Florida	0-0	–	249
22	UCLA	0-0	–	210
23	Kentucky	0-0	–	191
24	Ole Miss	0-0	–	132
25	Rutgers	0-0	–	102

Others receiving votes

Illinois 92, St. John’s 91, Xavier 73, Texas Tech 58, Wake Forest 37, Kansas St 30, Michigan St. 29, Ohio St. 29, Michigan 19, BYU 14, Oregon 12, McNeese St. 11, Miami 11, Boise St. 9, Saint Louis 9, Clemson 9, Providence 9, Mississippi St. 6, VCU 6, Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary’s 5, Louisville 4, UAB 4, Ark Little Rock 3, Grand Canyon 3, Arizona St 2, San Diego St. 2, Princeton 2, High Point 1, Maryland 1.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball ranked No. 21 in preseason AP Poll

Florida basketball ranked No. 21 in preseason AP Poll