College basketball rankings: Florida Gators move up in AP Top 25 entering second week of season

Basketball

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Image Credit: Bryce Mitchell, UAA

Expectations were raised significantly for Florida Gators basketball in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden. An extremely talented roster bringing back numerous key pieces from a year ago has aspirations far beyond making the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and through the first couple of games, it appears as if the Gators have the opportunity to reach some of those heights.

Florida on Monday was ranked No. 20 in the first AP Top 25 poll of the season. The Gators were listed No. 21 in the preseason poll, their first time opening a season ranked since before the 2019-20 campaign.

UF won a pair of blowouts during their first week of the season, 98-83 over South Florida and 81-60 over Jacksonville. It hosts Grambling State on Monday night with its first power-conference game coming Friday at Florida State.

Ranked opponents on Florida’s schedule include Alabama, North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational, Auburn, Tennessee (twice), Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Six of those 10 games will be played away from home.

AP Top 25 — Nov. 11

1. Kansas (44)
2. Alabama (6)
3. UConn (7)
4. Gonzaga (3)
5. Auburn (2)
6. Duke
7. Iowa State
8. Houston
9. Arizona
10. North Carolina
11. Tennessee
12. Baylor
13. Purdue
14. Creighton
15. Marquette
16. Indiana
17. Cincinnati
18. Arkansas
19. Kentucky
20. Florida
21. Ohio State
22. St. John’s
23. Texas A&M
24. Rutgers
25. Ole Miss