College basketball rankings: Florida Gators hold in top tier of AP Top 25 during three-game win streak

Basketball

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Image Credit: Bryce Mitchell, UAA

Florida Gators basketball moved to 18-2 in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden following a hard-fought one-point win with a dominant 30-point destruction of its chief rival last week. The Gators followed their biggest victory over a top-ranked team in 56 years with another massive win that has their metrics looking as strong as their record.

Expectations have now been raised for Florida as this extremely talented roster has started the season hotter than any version of this team since the first that won a national championship. In fact, the Gators’ 18-2 mark ties that 2005-06 squad for best record through 20 games in program history.

Florida maintained its spot near the top of the college basketball rankings on Monday when it held at No. 5 in the AP Top 25. UF has held a placement in the top five for three straight weeks for the first time since 2014 when it did so over the last eight weeks of the regular season.

UF similarly held at No. 6 in the Coaches Poll — despite having one fewer loss than two teams ranked ahead of it — while remaining No. 5 in the NET Rankings with a 4-2 record against Quadrant 1 opponents. The NCAA Selection Committee uses those rankings — which largely evaluate quality of wins and losses — as part of their process in choosing the NCAA Tournament field.

Florida is playing two of the top four, three of the top 10, and nine of the top 25 teams in this week’s rankings — a total of 10 times — this season.

AP Top 25 — Jan. 27

1. Auburn (62)
2. Duke
3. Iowa State
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Houston
7. Michigan State
8. Tennessee
9. Marquette
10. Purdue
11. Kansas
12. Kentucky
13. Texas A&M
14. Mississippi State
15. St. John’s
16. Oregon
17. Wisconsin
18. Illinois
19. Memphis
20. Missouri
21. Louisville
22. Texas Tech
23. Ole Miss
24. Vanderbilt
25. UConn