CBS Sports puts Florida among top national title contenders

Florida basketball enters the 2026-27 season with expectations that go well beyond simply making the NCAA Tournament.

CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno placed the Gators in the highest group of his preseason Final Four tiers, labeling Florida one of four legitimate national championship favorites alongside Duke, Illinois and UConn.

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The four programs also occupy the top four spots in the preseason AP Top 25, with Florida starting at No. 1.

Salerno divided every team in the preseason top 25 into four tiers based on its chances of reaching the Final Four in Detroit. The S Tier is reserved for legitimate title favorites, while the A Tier consists of teams capable of winning the championship if things break their way.

Florida’s case starts with what CBS Sports called “the best frontcourt in college basketball.”

Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon are entering their third season together after helping the Gators win the 2025 national championship and earn consecutive No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Their size, experience, and physicality give Florida a group that can wear teams down over a game.

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CBS Sports also expects the backcourt to improve. Boogie Fland and Urban Klavžar return, while Denzel Aberdeen is back in Gainesville after spending last season at Kentucky.

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PHOTOS: Florida men’s basketball at 2026 SEC Basketball Tipoff

Oct 14, 2026; Birmingham, AL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images

(Butch Dill, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

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PHOTOS: Florida men’s basketball at 2026 SEC Basketball Tipoff

Oct 14, 2026; Birmingham, AL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images

(Butch Dill, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

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PHOTOS: Florida men’s basketball at 2026 SEC Basketball Tipoff

Oct 14, 2026;…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cbs-sports-puts-florida-among-224201644.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-22 22:42:00

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