Florida is projected to open the season as the top-ranked team in the preseason AP Top 25, an overwhelming favorite to win the SEC title in 2027. This comes hot off a historic 2024-25 season where the Gators were the last team standing, dramatically winning the NCAA Tournament title game over Houston.
The Gators Are Built Different This Year
It’s no joke that Florida is the team to beat in the SEC. They are currently No. 1 in Gary Parrish’s Top 25 and 1, and for good reason. They are rolling into this season after returning six of their top seven scorers from a squad that won the SEC by three games and snagged a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The only player they lost who averaged over 4.1 points was Xaivian Lee. That’s some serious roster retention, and Coach Todd Golden has a loaded frontcourt, headlined by arguably the best “Big Three” in the sport: Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu. The Gators are primed to make serious noise.
Contenders Loading Up For Chaos
Even with Florida looking like a juggernaut, don’t sleep on the rest of the SEC trying to throw some chaos into the mix. Texas and Kentucky will likely slot into the top 10, ready to make a run. Texas, in Year 2 of the Sean Miller era, has been hitting the transfer portal hard. They pulled a huge move by getting Marcus Spears Jr., the top-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, to reclassify and join the program in time for this season. That’s a game changer! Kentucky is also going to be a popular pick, landing Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic and bringing in former Missouri star Mark Mitchell, who got an extra year through a temporary restraining order. The Wildcats boast the top-ranked transfer class in the 247Sports rankings. You gotta respect how these teams are stacking up.
The SEC’s Unstoppable Rise
The entire SEC conference is absolutely buzzing. The 2024-25 season was legendary, with 14 teams reaching the 2025 NCAA Tournament. That broke the previous record, held by the Big East in 2011, for most teams from a single conference in the Big Dance. Auburn and Florida even made it to the Final Four in San Antonio. Beyond the top contenders, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama are all near locks to land in the initial top 25 rankings too. This conference is absolutely stacked, making it clear the SEC is going to make some serious noise come March once again.
While Florida looks like the clear frontrunner, college basketball is wild. Injuries or just plain weird sports moments can flip anything on its head. Nothing is guaranteed once the ball goes up, and you know these other teams are hungry. Get ready for an insane 2027 SEC season because it is going to be a battle from start to finish.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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