Image Credit: Lorenzo Vasquez, UAA
Florida Gators basketball has started 13-0 in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden for the first time in nearly two decades, except this season, it has won all but one of those games by double digits. In fact, UF ended its nonconference slate Sunday and will enter SEC play off consecutive victories of 40+ points. 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 maintained another high mark Monday when the latest college basketball rankings were announced. Florida held at No. 6 in the AP Top 25 and No. 5 in the Coaches Poll. This after UF opened the campaign ranked in the preseason polls for the first time since 2019-20.
The 2024-25 squad is the first in program history to win 10 straight games by double digits to start a season, and at 13-0 with 12 double-digit wins, it is off to as dominant a start as the Gators have seen in decades.
Florida is now listed at No. 4 in the NET Rankings, also holding its position 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.
The Gators open SEC play when they visit No. 10 Kentucky next Saturday.
Florida is set to play the top two teams, three of the top five and four of the top 10 teams in this week’s rankings — a total of six times — over the remainder of the season along with nine of the top 25 teams overall.
AP Top 25 — Dec. 30
1. Tennessee (41)
2. Auburn (20)
3. Iowa State
4. Duke
5. Alabama
6. Florida
7. Kansas
8. Marquette
9. Oregon
10. Kentucky
11. UConn
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Houston
15. UCLA
16. Cincinnati
17. Mississippi State
18. Michigan State
19. Gonzaga
20. Purue
21. Memphis
22. Illinois
23. Arkansas
24. Ole Miss
25. Baylor
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