Florida basketball’s hot start has fizzled out and the Gators are no longer ranked in the AP Top 25 after losses to Texas Southern and Maryland.
What should have been a rebound game for Florida after its first loss of the year wound up being one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Texas Southern came into the game without a win and dominated the Gators in Gainesville. The 15-point loss left the team stunned and would have likely forced UF out of the Top 25 by itself.
Then Florida played Maryland in New York and Tyree Appleby couldn’t get the game-winning shot down as he did against Ohio State earlier in the season. Colin Castleton had already fouled out of the game, so going inside for the tie was riskier than usual.
It’s apparent that this Gators team is not the same as it was through the first six games of the year. The loss to Oklahoma triggered something, and it’d be hard for the AP voters not to notice. Not only did Florida bounce out of the Top 25 this week, but it also failed to receive a single vote in the final poll results.
Florida wasn’t the only team in the Southeastern Conference to struggle this week. Kentucky lost to Notre Dame and dropped eleven spots to No. 21 and Arkansas fell twelve spots to No. 24 after losing to Oklahoma.
Other SEC teams fared well, though. A close win over No. 14 Houston has Alabama up to No. 6, and Auburn moved up five spots to No. 13. Tennessee also moved spots but in the other direction to No. 18. LSU is right behind the Vols at No. 19, and it only took a 9-0 record to get a little respect.
AP Top 25 Poll – Week 6
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
| 1 | Baylor | 9-0 | 1,525 (61) |
| 2 | Duke | 7-1 | 1,429 |
| 3 | Purdue | 9-1 | 1,319 |
| 4 | UCLA | 9-1 | 1,312 |
| 5 | Gonzaga | 8-2 | 1,291 |
| 6 | Alabama | 8-1 | 1,202 |
| 7 | Kansas | 8-1 | 1,181 |
| 8 | Arizona | 9-0 | 1,172 |
| 9 | Villanova | 7-3 | 924 |
| 10 | USC | 10-0 | 810 |
| 11 | Iowa State | 10-0 | 798 |
| 12 | Michigan St. | 9-2 | 707 |
| 13 | Auburn | 8-1 | 693 |
| 14 | Houston | 8-2 | 683 |
| 15 | Ohio State | 8-2 | 656 |
| 16 | Seton Hall | 9-1 | 635 |
| 17 | Texas | 6-2 | 583 |
| 18 | Tennesse | 7-2 | 390 |
| 19 | LSU | 9-0 | 376 |
| 20 | Connecticut | 9-2 | 360 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 7-2 | 345 |
| 22 | Xavier | 9-1 | 301 |
| 23 | Colorado State | 10-0 | 251 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 9-1 | 241 |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 7-1 | 164 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 20 Florida; No.22 Wisconsin; No. 24 BYU.
Others Receiving Votes
Wisconsin 156, North Carolina 85, Providence 57, Oklahoma 46, San Francisco 36, Illinois 31, West Virginia 24, Loyola Chicago 20, Michigan 8, St. Bonaventure 6, BYU 4, Minnesota 3, Creighton 1.
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