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For the first time this season, Florida basketball finds itself outside of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll top 25.
The campaign began with high hopes as the Gators looked to defend their national title, but a brutal non-conference schedule combined with a transfer backcourt that has not lived up to its potential has the Orange and Blue reeling entering the 2026 calendar year.
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The latest bump in the road came on Saturday night against the Missouri Tigers, who used strong frontcourt play along with a healthy dose of zone defense to outlast Todd Golden’s gang, 76-74. It was the fifth loss of the season for Florida, which already exceeds its total of four during its title run.
This week, the Gators hold on to just 21 votes, which makes the de facto No. 29 team in the poll.
SEC schools in Coaches Poll top 25 after Week 9
The Southeastern Conference’s representation in the top 25 fell to just five schools this week, headlined by the Vanderbilt Commodores, who inched up a spot to No. 10. Next up are the 12th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, followed by the 15th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, 20th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and 22nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.
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Missouri (3) and the Kentucky Wildcats (3) join Florida among those receiving votes outside the top 25.
USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll top 25 after Week 9
Rank
Team
Record
PTS
1st
Prev
Chg
Hi/Lo
1
Michigan
13-0
768
24
1
–
1/7
2
Arizona
14-0
749
7
2
–
2/13
3
Iowa State
14-0
703
0
3
–
3/18
4
UConn
14-1
666
0
4
–
3/7
5
Purdue
13-1
624
0
6
+1
1/6
6
Duke
13-1
616
0
5
-1
3/6
7
Houston
13-1
584
0
8
+1
2/8
8
Gonzaga
16-1
565
0
7
-1
7/20
9
BYU
13-1
527
0
10
+1
7/11
10
Vanderbilt
14-0
488
0
11
+1
10/NR
11
Nebraska
14-0
473
0
13
+2
11/NR
12
Alabama
11-3
403
0
15
+3
9/16
13
Michigan State
12-2
400
0
9
-4
8/21
14
Texas Tech
11-3
345
0
16
+2
11/20
15
Arkansas
11-3
334
0
18
+3
14/23
16
Illinois
11-3
294
0
19
+3
8/19
17
North Carolina
13-2
250
0
12
-5
12/25
18
Louisville
11-3
232
0
13
-5
5/18
19
Iowa
12-2
211
0
23
+4
19/NR
20
Georgia
13-1
164
0
24
+4
20/NR
21
Kansas
10-4
131
0
17
-4
17/NR
22
Tennessee
10-4
123
0
20
-2
13/23
23
Virginia
12-2
120
0
21
-2
21/NR
24
Villanova
12-2
70
0
NR
+15
24/NR
25
SMU
12-2
42
0
NR
–
25/NR
Schools…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/florida-basketball-falls-coaches-poll-180305594.html
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Publish date : 2026-01-05 18:03:00
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