The Florida men’s basketball season is just over two weeks away, and anticipation is building as the program gears up for what promises to be an exciting year.
Head coach Todd Golden is heading into his third season with the Gators and after an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, the men’s basketball team looks to build upon that this year.
Florida earned the No. 21 spot in the preseason AP poll, marking the first time since 2019 that the Gators entered the season ranked in the top 25.
“Yeah, I think it says that we’re on the right track,” Golden said about the ranking at SEC media days. “As you said, we’re not spending a whole lot of time applauding ourselves on being ranked 21st. Like I said, we appreciate the respect that we’re receiving from the AP, and it means a lot to us.”
Golden emphasized that the Gators aren’t content with their No. 21 ranking, viewing it instead as “a starting point” for the season ahead.
“We’re using that as a starting point, but we’re not satisfied with that being our final ranking,” Golden said. “But now going into year three, we feel like being ranked there and then having the opportunity to maybe advance in the tournament if we do what we’re capable of will be the right trajectory for what this program needs and what it deserves. It’s a nice honor, but we’re not satisfied with that.”
As the season-opener approaches, the team’s focus is on building chemistry, staying competitive and climbing past their preseason ranking. For Golden and his players, this is just the start—they have their sights set on a deep run in March.
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