JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Thomas Haugh #10 of the Florida Gators shoots the ball over Isaac Williams IV #10 of the Baylor Bears during the first half of the game at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) Getty
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Denzel Aberdeen #1 of the Florida Gators dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) Getty
TUCSON, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 22: Close up view of the ACC logo on the jersey worn by Caleb Foster #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on November 22, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats 69-55. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) Getty
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Alex Condon #21 of the Florida Gators brings the ball up court during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) Getty
The preseason AP Top 25 ranked Florida basketball number 1. The Gators received 47 of the 59 first-place votes, with Duke and Illinois receiving the rest. Notably, Florida last earned the preseason NO. 1 ranking before the 2006-07 season. What makes the Gators the team to beat this year?
GettyJACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 18: Thomas Haugh #10 of the Florida Gators shoots the ball over Isaac Williams IV #10 of the Baylor Bears during the first half of the game at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The Gators have four starters returning: Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu, and Boogie Fland. These four players were 61.7% of the team's scoring last season. Denzel Aberdeen, who won a championship with Florida in 2025, is also returning after one year at Kentucky.
Continuity and team chemistry matter a lot in college basketball. In the last few years, we've seen the more experienced teams that have been together for a while win. The returning starters will make Todd Golden's job a lot easier. The Gators will have an easier time starting the season and clicking with each other.
GettyJACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 18: Denzel Aberdeen #1 of the Florida Gators dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Florida won the SEC regular-season championship last year but followed that up with disappointment in the tournament. This happened a year after winning the National Championship. They looked poised to have another dominant year last season but fell short. They lost in the second round to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Throughout the season, they would demonstrate championship potential. Some even had them in the championship game. Florida needs improved three-point shooting. Last season they shot 32.1% from three, one of the lowest marks in program history. Aberdeen being back should help lower their turnover number and provide consistent guard play.
GettyTUCSON, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 22: Close up view of the ACC logo on the jersey worn by Caleb Foster #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on November 22, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats 69-55. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Duke received 10 first-place votes, and Illinois received two votes. Those are two teams that could challenge Florida this season. The Blue Devils reloaded their roster with transfers and freshmen. Illinois is building off of their roster from last season and looks even better.
The polls show Florida as the clear number one team with 47 first-place votes. The margin may be even smaller than that, as all three teams have looked really good in their preseason games. The Gators have an advantage with all of their returning players, experience, and team chemistry. They will need to show that they can outperform the elite programs.
GettyJACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 18: Alex Condon #21 of the Florida Gators brings the ball up court during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Florida has the experience, talent, and motivation to be able to win the championship. Tough opponents and a challenging conference will test Florida this year. Those games against elite opponents will answer important questions. As of right now, their number-one ranking is justified based on their roster and all the players returning. Now they just have to go out and prove that they're the number one team.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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