Florida has officially seized the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll for the 2026-27 college basketball season, marking their first time atop the list in two decades. This isn’t just some random hot start, folks, the Gators are looking like the early favorite to snag what would be their second national championship in three seasons, echoing their back-to-back title run when they last opened at No. 1 in 2006.
The Gators Are Built Different This Year
Why are they soaring to the top right out of the gate? It’s all about who’s back in the orange and blue. Florida is rolling into the season with a huge chunk of their roster from last year’s NCAA tournament top seed. We’re talking about a lineup that just got a massive boost with Thomas Haugh, who everyone thought was a lottery pick, opting to skip the NBA Draft and return for another year. That’s a huge commitment, and it speaks volumes about what Golden’s building. He’s not alone either, with Alex Condon and the national Defensive Player of the Year, Reuben Chinyelu, also back in the fold.
But the biggest stunner might be Denzel Aberdeen. He transferred back from Kentucky this past spring to reunite with coach Todd Golden and just got a temporary injunction last month to play a fifth season! This dude was on Florida’s 2025 national title team, so he knows Golden’s system inside and out. With Aberdeen in the mix, this roster isn’t just deep, it’s absolutely loaded and experienced.
Duke Is Coming, But The Road Is Treacherous
Of course, the Gators aren’t the only show in town. Duke, who barely missed out on the Final Four last spring, is also bringing some serious heat. Caleb Foster is back, and Coach Jon Scheyer pulled off a huge transfer coup by landing former Wisconsin star John Blackwell. Plus, they’ve got Cayden Boozer and Pat Ngongba returning, not to mention a couple of absolute star freshmen in Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and Cam Williams, who were the fourth and fifth-ranked players in their recruiting class. Scheyer’s got options, no doubt.
But even for Duke, the road through the ACC is going to be brutal. This league is absolutely stacked, with five teams landing in the preseason poll, including No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 Louisville, and No. 14 Miami. The rest of the top five around the nation is no joke either, with Illinois at No. 3, UConn at No. 4, and Arizona rounding out the top five. It’s going to be a dogfight every single night.
Michigan’s Rough Start Puts Florida In The Driver’s Seat
Meanwhile, last year’s national champions, Michigan, are facing some serious headwinds. After celebrating their first national championship in decades, everything changed. Head coach Dusty May bounced for the Dallas Mavericks, pulling the plug right before the NBA Draft, forcing the Wolverines into a super late coaching scramble. They’ve since promoted assistant Mike Boynton to take over, which is a tough spot to be in for a defending champ.
Then, just last month, the hammer dropped again: star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. is out for the entire 2026-27 season with an ACL injury he picked up in an exhibition game in Europe. Talk about a brutal start to defending a title. With Michigan’s struggles, the path to the top seems even clearer for Florida.
So, yeah, a lot can change between now and the madness of March. The last team to open at No. 1 and win it all was North Carolina back in 2008-09. Purdue was the preseason No. 1 last season and didn’t even make the Final Four. But for right now, Florida is leading the charge, and they look absolutely ready for everything this season throws at them. Get ready, hoops fans, because this is going to be a wild one!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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