Gators lose both votes in Coaches Poll after Vols loss, Mizzou win

Florida basketball had mixed results this past week as the Southeastern Conference schedule continues to unfurl.

On Tuesday, the Gators were whooped by the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, 85-66, bringing Todd Golden’s team back to earth after its previous home blowout of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Florida came away just 1-3 in SEC play at that point.

The Orange and Blue responded on Saturday with a 79-67 victory over the Missouri Tigers in Columbia — the team’s first true road win of the season. But it was not enough to retain the pair of votes it had last week in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

In the Week 12 edition of the poll, the Gators once again found themselves on the short end of the stick. Before last week, the last time Golden’s gang was among the vote-receiving schools was the Week 4 update on Nov. 27.

Fellow SEC programs that made the top 25 are the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, followed by the Kentucky Wildcats and Auburn Tigers tied at No. 6. The Alabama Crimson Tide (43) and Ole Miss Rebels (2) also received votes.

Florida returns home to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs inside the O’Connell Center on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff time is slated for another late start at 8:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.