Through six games, Florida’s men’s basketball team has proven to be one of the more exciting teams in the country, and now the Gators have earned a vote in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
A single vote isn’t usually much to celebrate, but the Gators have been absent from the Coaches Poll all year despite earning five preseason votes. Florida hasn’t played poorly by any standard, losing its two games to No. 9 Baylor and now-unranked Virginia — the Hoos previously checked in at No. 18.
It’s a long road from one vote to ranked, but at least Florida is on the map.
Looking at the rest of the SEC, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 12 Kentucky and No. 13 Texas A&M are fighting for the top spot in the conference. Alabama dropped five places to No. 20, and Mississippi State is up three to No. 22 after a 6-0 start. Auburn (26) and Arkansas (2) also earned votes but finished unranked.
Florida continues its non-conference schedule Wednesday with a road game against Wake Forest. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Here’s a look at the entire Week 4 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Purdue | 6-0 | 800 | +1 |
| 2 | Arizona | 6-0 | 747 | +1 |
| 3 | Marquette | 5-1 | 703 | +2 |
| 4 | UConn | 6-0 | 700 | – |
| 5 | Houston | 7-0 | 681 | +1 |
| 6 | Kansas | 5-1 | 647 | -5 |
| 7 | Duke | 5-1 | 594 | +2 |
| 8 | Miami (FL) | 5-0 | 542 | +3 |
| 9 | Baylor | 6-0 | 537 | +3 |
| 10 | Gonzaga | 4-1 | 483 | – |
| 11 | Tennessee | 4-2 | 462 | -3 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 5-1 | 373 | +4 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 6-1 | 326 | – |
| 14 | Creighton | 5-1 | 324 | -7 |
| 15 | Villanova | 6-1 | 317 | +14 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 5-1 | 303 | -2 |
| 17 | Florida Atlantic | 5-1 | 287 | +3 |
| 18 | Texas | 5-1 | 201 | -1 |
| 19 | BYU | 6-0 | 187 | +16 |
| 20 | Alabama | 5-1 | 157 | -5 |
| 21 | Colorado State | 6-0 | 132 | – |
| 22 | Mississippi State | 6-0 | 125 | +3 |
| 23 | James Madison | 6-0 | 109 | +5 |
| 24 | Illinois | 5-1 | 99 | -2 |
| 25 | Michigan State | 3-3 | 66 | -6 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Virginia; No. 21 Colorado; No. 23 Memphis; No. 24 UCLA;
Others Receiving Votes
Memphis 63; Virginia 54; UCLA 46; TCU 45; San Diego State 45; Oklahoma 44; Colorado 43; Ohio State 37; Clemson 27; Auburn 26; Princeton 24; Nevada 11; Iowa State 11; USC 7; Liberty 6; Bradley 4; Cincinnati 2; Arkansas 2; Florida 1;
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.