The Florida men’s basketball team will open the 2024-25 schedule among the top 25 teams in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, tying in at No. 21 heading into Todd Golden’s third season as Gators head coach.

The Orange and Blue had been ranked in the penultimate poll last spring, but an early exit from the NCAA Tournament resulted in a drop from No. 23 to a de facto ranking of No. 27 with 44 points. The last time Florida started its hoops campaign ranked in the top 25 was in 2019, when the Gators ranked No. 6 in the country.

SEC schools in top 25 in coaches poll

The Southeastern Conference is represented by nine schools – including Florida – in the top 25. The Alabama Crimson Tide (2nd) are ranked first, followed by the Auburn Tigers (11th), Tennessee Volunteers (12th) and Texas A&M Aggies (15th). , Arkansas Razorbacks (16th), Texas Longhorns (19th), Kentucky Wildcats (22nd) and Ole Miss Rebels (25th).

The Mississippi State Bulldogs also received two votes in the preseason poll.

Coaches Poll: Top 25 Preseason Rankings

Others receive votes

TexasTech 60; Rutgers 57; St. John 42; Xavier 26 years old; Michigan State 25; Oregon 16; BYU 16; Kansas State 11; Sainte-Marie 9; Boise State 9; Clemson 8; Ohio State 7; Dayton 7; Maryland 4; Grand Canyon 3; Wake Forest 2; Virginia 2; San Diego State 2; Princeton2; Mississippi State 2; Wisconsin 1

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