Florida topped Sports Illustrated's college basketball 365 rankings from worst to first, holding the No. 1 spot ahead of the 2026-27 season. The national media views Todd Golden and the Gators as consensus national championship contenders, with the Blue and Orange also leading the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.
SI cites Florida's exceptional roster continuity and elite front court play as the foundation behind the Gators' high floor. The Gators lead all 365 Division I programs largely based on returning four starters from a 27-win team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament last season.
"The Gators have the highest preseason floor of any team in recent history; assuming they stay healthy, the amount of roster retention from
consecutive No. 1 seeds means there’s basically no world where Florida flops," Kevin Sweeny wrote.
Golden fields a front court featuring three NBA draft prospects in All-American Thomas Haugh, 2025 DPOY Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon. Together, the trio helped Florida become the nation's best rebounding team and No. 15 in blocks per game. The outlet notes that Golden has found a sustainable formula in Gainesville, emphasizing the program's ability to find players who can contribute on both ends of the court.Sweeny also identifies one major question for Golden's team that could determine whether Florida wins another national championship: can Boogie Fland provide championship-caliber point guard play?
Another uncertainty for UF is the eligibility status of Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen, who helped the Gators capture their 2025 national title. His return to Florida for a final season remains cleared only due to a temporary court injunction.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida tops SI's 365-team preseason college basketball rankings
