Todd Golden and Will Richard lead the Gators into the 2024-25 campaign as the No. 21 team in the nation.
Photo By: Maddie Washburn
Florida will open the season as an AP-ranked team for the first time since 2019.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida men's basketball ranks No. 21 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25, announced on Monday. The Gators enter their third season under head coach
Todd Golden coming off a 24-win campaign, an NCAA Tournament berth and the team's first appearance in the SEC Tournament title game in a decade.
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Florida returns starters
Walter Clayton Jr. and
Will Richard along with significant contributors
Denzel Aberdeen,
Alex Condon and
Thomas Haugh. The Gators added a talented trio from the portal, including veteran guard
Alijah Martin and the frontcourt pair of
Sam Alexis and
Rueben Chinyelu.
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The Gators will face nine teams ranked in the preseason top 25 plus three others that received votes.
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This marks UF's first preseason appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2019. The Gators were most recently ranked in the AP poll in February when the team was at No. 24 for consecutive weeks.
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UF's season tips off on Nov. 4 in Jacksonville, where the Gators will face South Florida, and the home opener is set for Nov. 7 vs. Jacksonville at 8 p.m.
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2024-25 MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET OPTIONS
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AP Preseason Top 25
- Kansas
- Alabama
- UConn
- Houston
- Iowa State
- Gonzaga
- Duke
- Baylor
- North Carolina
- Arizona
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Purdue
- Creighton
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Marquette
- Texas
- Cincinnati
- Florida
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Ole Miss
- Rutgers