College basketball rankings: Florida Gators pull into No. 5 spot in AP Top 25 poll after SEC title win

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Image Credit: Victoria Riccobono, UAA

The reigning national champion Florida Gators began the 2025-26 college basketball season with the greatest expectations surrounding the program in two decades. That was solidified with a No. 3 ranking in the preseason polls — UF’s highest placement entering a season in 19 years — which meant the only direction Florida would head as the campaign progressed was slightly downward.

That decline took the Gators all the way out of the rankings, though they quickly bounced back into the top 25 and have now returned to their rightful spot inside the upper echelon.

At 13-2 in SEC play, holding at least a share of the league championship for the first time since 2014, UF is ahead of its pace from last season, and it’s beating opponents more definitively, too. Plus, three of its six losses are to teams ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 — all occurring away from home in November and December.

Florida moved up two spots Monday — seven over the last two weeks — to No. 5 in the AP Top 25. It similarly rose two spots to No. 5 in the Coaches Poll.

Expectations remain high for the Gators with plenty of tests ahead. Florida has played six teams ranked in this week’s top 25 with Alabama and Arkansas dropping out of the poll.

AP Top 25, March 2

1. Duke (55) | L 66-67 (Dec. 2)
2. Arizona (4) | L 87-93 (Nov. 3)
3. Michigan
4. UConn | L 73-77 (Dec. 9)
5. Florida
6. Iowa State
7. Houston
8. Michigan State
9. Nebraska
10. Texas Tech
11. Illinois
12. Gonzaga
13. Virginia
14. Kansas
15. Purdue
16. Alabama
17. North Carolina
18. St. John’s
19. Miami (OH)
20. Arkansas
21. Saint Mary’s
22. Miami (FL) | W 82-68 (Nov. 16)
23. Tennessee | W 91-67 (Jan. 10)
24. Vanderbilt | W 98-94 (Jan. 17)
25. Saint Louis