The Florida Gators opened the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season as the nation’s top-ranked team, securing the No. 1 ranking in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday.
Florida received 47 of 59 first-place votes from the national media panel, according to Forbes. Duke followed at No. 2 with 10 first-place ballots, while Illinois captured the remaining two first-place votes to claim No. 3. Connecticut, coming off an Elite Eight appearance, placed fourth, and Arizona took fifth to round out a top five that represents five different conferences.
Florida coach Todd Golden’s squad also earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, USA TODAY Sports reported. The top billing marks just the second time in Florida program history that the Gators have entered a campaign atop the AP poll, having previously done so before their 2006-07 national title run.
Roster continuity powers the Gators
In an era characterized by heavy transfer portal movement, the Gators returned four starters from a team that went 27-8, won the Southeastern Conference regular-season crown and secured an NCAA tournament No. 1 seed last spring, Forbes reported. Four members of Florida’s 2025 national championship roster remain on campus as well.
The Gators are anchored by a seasoned frontcourt that features 6-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh, who posted 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season, alongside 6-foot-11 forward Alex Condon and 6-foot-10 center Rueben Chinyelu. The perimeter returns senior guard Boogie Fland, who supplied 11.6 points and 3.5 assists an outing last year, and brings back guard Denzel Aberdeen after he spent a year at Kentucky.
Florida will face immediate tests away from home. The Gators open their season Nov. 2 against No. 14 Miami in Tampa, Florida, participate in the multi-team Players Era event in Las Vegas, and host Duke on Dec. 1 in the SEC-ACC Challenge, according to Forbes.
Duke and Illinois round out top three
Duke enters the season ranked in the preseason AP top 10 for the 19th consecutive year, Forbes reported. Despite losing consensus national player of the year Cameron Boozer as the third overall pick in the NBA draft, head coach Jon Scheyer returned four of his top six scorers from a 35-3 roster. Point guard Cayden Boozer, center Patrick Ngongba, and guards Dame Sarr and Caleb Foster return, joined by Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell and 7-foot-2 freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
Illinois achieved its highest preseason ranking since holding the No. 2 spot in 2001, according to Forbes. Following a run to the Final Four last season, the Fighting Illini return five significant rotation players, including guard Andrei Stojakovic, forward David Mirkovic, and twin centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, while adding Providence transfer guard Stefan Vaaks.
SEC leads national representation
The SEC topped all conferences with seven programs in the AP Top 25, followed by the Big 12 with six, the Big Ten with five, and the ACC with four, Forbes reported. The Big East landed two teams in No. 4 UConn and No. 13 St. John’s, while Gonzaga ranked No. 15 entering its debut season in the Pac-12 Conference.
Defending national champion Michigan placed No. 16 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the coaches poll, according to USA TODAY Sports. The Wolverines saw three players selected in the draft lottery and lost head coach Dusty May to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks before elevating assistant Mike Boynton to the head job, The Big Lead reported.
Traditional power North Carolina failed to make the top 25 in either poll, settling among the unranked teams receiving votes, according to USA TODAY Sports.
Teams will officially open regular-season play in early November, with ranked matchups and tournament showcases scheduled across the country throughout the opening month.
