College basketball rankings: Florida Gators move up two more spots inside top 10 of AP Top 25

Basketball

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Image Credit: Maddie Washburn, UAA

Florida Gators basketball has started 10-0 in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden for the first time in nearly two decades, except this season, it is winning each game by double digits. Expectations have therefore been raised as this extremely talented roster has started the season hotter than any version of this team since the first that won a national championship.

The Gators reached another high mark on Monday when the latest college basketball rankings were announced. Florida moved up two additional spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and an additional spot to No. 6 in the Coaches Poll. This as UF opened the campaign ranked in the preseason polls for the first time since 2019-20.

Fueling the rise of Florida was another thoroughly dominant 83-66 trouncing of Arizona State at the 2024 Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. The 2024-25 squad is the first in program history to win 10 straight games by double digits to start a season.

Florida is now listed at No. 5 in the NET Rankings, up two spots from last week. The NCAA Selection Committee uses those rankings — which largely evaluate quality of wins and losses — as part of their process in choosing the NCAA Tournament field.

UF returns to the court Tuesday — a quick turnaround after previously getting 10 days off between games — against North Carolina at a not-so-neutral-site game in Charlotte.

The Gators are set to play the three of the top four teams in this week’s rankings — a total of five times — over the remainder of the season along with four of the top six teams and seven of the top 17.

AP Top 25 — Dec. 16

1. Tennessee (50)
2. Auburn (12)
3. Iowa State
4. Kentucky
5. Duke
6. Alabama
7. Florida
8. Kansas
9. Marquette
10. Oregon
11. UConn
12. Texas A&M
13. Gonzaga
14. Oklahoma
15. Houston
16. Purdue
17. Ole Miss
18. UCLA
19. Cincinnati
20. Michigan State
21. Memphis
22. Dayton
23. San Diego State
24. Michigan
25. Clemson