Florida basketball loses votes in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after strong start
The Florida Gators have started the season off 2-0 under new head coach Todd Golden, but UF isn’t getting the support most might expect in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll update.
The Gators received five votes in the preseason iteration of the poll, but that number dropped to just one in the post-Week 1 update. While a bit surprising, Florida hasn’t exactly faced a quality opponent yet, beating Stony Brook by 30+ points and taking care of Kennesaw State by a less impressive margin.
Up next on Florida’s schedule are Florida Atlantic and Florida State, neither of which received a vote in this week’s poll. The Seminoles started off the season unofficially ranked ahead of Florida with 13 votes in the preseason poll, but a season-opening loss to Stetson and injuries have tempered expectations for that team.
That means Florida’s best chance to prove itself on a national stage will be the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament that begins on Nov. 24. If the Gators can take care of Xavier in the first round, there’s a good chance it will play Duke in the semifinal and possibly Gonzaga in the final.
As far as the rest of the SEC goes, Kentucky is ranked No. 4 and Arkansas rounds out the top 10. Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee are battling at Nos. 15,16 and 17, respectively. Texas A&M also received 25 votes.
Here’s a look at the poll in its entirety.
A full look at the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll for men’s basketball.
Rank | Team | Record | Points | Trend |
1 | 2-0 | 775 (22) | – | |
2 | Gonzaga | 2-0 | 747 (7) | – |
3 | Houston | 2-0 | 723 (2) | – |
4 | Kentucky | 2-0 | 707 (1) | – |
5 | Kansas | 2-0 | 662 | – |
6 | Baylor | 2-0 | 643 | – |
7 | UCLA | 2-0 | 575 | – |
8 | Duke | 2-0 | 567 | – |
9 | Creighton | 2-0 | 534 | – |
10 | Arkansas | 2-0 | 492 | – |
11 | 2-0 | 483 | +1 | |
12 | Arizona | 2-0 | 379 | +1 |
13 | Indiana | 2-0 | 376 | +1 |
14 | Virginia | 2-0 | 323 | +4 |
15 | Auburn | 2-0 | 304 | – |
16 | Alabama | 2-0 | 265 | +3 |
17 | Tennessee | 1-1 | 249 | -6 |
18 | TCU | 2-0 | 231 | -2 |
19 | San Diego St. | 2-0 | 222 | +1 |
20 | Illinois | 2-0 | 167 | +3 |
21 | 2-0 | 155 | +1 | |
22 | Texas Tech | 2-0 | 149 | +2 |
23 | Dayton | 2-0 | 139 | +2 |
24 | Purdue | 2-0 | 93 | +2 |
25 | Michigan State | 1-1 | 62 | +5 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 17 Villanova; No. 21 Oregon.
Others Receiving Votes
Ohio St. 60; Iowa 52; Connecticut 46; Villanova 44; Oregon 43; Texas A&M 25; Virginia Tech 20; Wisconsin 19; Miami-Florida 18; Saint Mary’s 14; Xavier 10; Toledo 10; Saint Louis 10; Rutgers 4; Drake 2; Florida 1.
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