By JAMES MADDEN
Todd Golden and Florida are headlining another preseason poll, with Blue Ribbon ranking the Gators at the No. 1 team in the country entering the 2026-27 season.
The Gators returned most of their scoring from the last two seasons, including senior forward Thomas Haugh, who’s a preseason candidate for National Player of the Year.
Similar to other polls around the country, Duke is second and Illinois is third, rounding out the preseason top-three.
Though a lot could change between the beginning of the season and December, Florida and Duke are scheduled to meet in Gainesville as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, which could very well be a matchup of the top-two teams in the country.
With the Gators the heavy favorites to be the preseason No. 1 in the AP poll, coaches around the country also view them as a surefire pick to be the best team in the nation.
“I think there’s no excuse for Florida to not sit at No. 1 most of the year.,” said one coach to CBSSports. “80% of scoring back with three true frontcourt monsters that probably eclipse most teams’ total salaries by themselves.”
With Florida, Duke and Illinois rounding out the top-three, the remaining teams in Blue Ribbon’s top-ten are programs that are mainstays on the national stage.
1, Florida
2. Duke
3. Illinois
4. Michigan State
5. Arizona
6. Tennessee
7. Texas
8. Houston
9. Arkansas
10. UConn
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