The Florida Gators (12-0) are officially a top-five program in college basketball, according to the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Florida extended its win streak to 12 games on Saturday, defeating the North Florida Ospreys, 99-45, behind a big night from Will Richard. The Gators continue to boast one of the best backcourts in the country and are finding a groove on defense, especially against non-Power Four programs.
The Orange and Blue have only moved up in the Coaches Poll this year, checking in at No. 21 in the preseason rankings. It’s been a steady climb with each week of play, moving up to No. 19 (Week 1 and Week 2), No. 16 in Week 3, No. 13 in Week 4, No. 7 in Week 5 and No. 6 a week ago. Florida now leads No. 6 Alabama by 29 poll points and trails the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils by just 10 points.
The top three of Tennessee, Auburn and Iowa State remained in place for a third-straight week, but Kentucky fell six spots to the bottom of the top 10 after losing to Ohio State. Six programs, including Florida, moved up one spot but no top-10 program leapfrogged another.
SEC schools in Coaches Poll top 25
In addition to the five top-10 SEC programs mentioned above, the Oklahoma Sooners (No. 11) and the Texas A&M Aggies (No. 13) are both nearing that range, and the Ole Miss Rebels (No. 16) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 19) remain in the top 25.
The Arkansas Razorbacks (51), Georgia Bulldogs (42) and Missouri Tigers (6) all earned votes in this week’s poll as well but are outside the top 25.
Coaches Poll Top 25 Week 7 rankings
| Ranking | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 11-0 | 764 (20) | – |
| 2 | Auburn | 11-1 | 746 (11) | – |
| 3 | Iowa State | 1-1 | 706 | – |
| 4 | Duke | 10-2 | 659 | +1 |
| 5 | Florida | 12-0 | 649 | +1 |
| 6 | Alabama | 10-2 | 620 | +1 |
| 7 | Kansas | 9-2 | 531 | +1 |
| 8 | Marquette | 11-2 | 529 | +1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 11-1 | 484 | +1 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 10-2 | 476 | -6 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 12-0 | 412 | +4 |
| 12 | Houston | 8-3 | 406 | – |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 10-2 | 405 | -2 |
| 14 | UConn | 10-3 | 395 | -1 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 9-3 | 327 | -1 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 11-1 | 261 | – |
| 17 | Cincinnati | 10-1 | 252 | +3 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 10-2 | 233 | +1 |
| 19 | Mississippi State | 11-1 | 196 | +6 |
| 20 | San Diego State | 8-2 | 148 | +3 |
| 21 | UCLA | 10-2 | 128 | -3 |
| 22 | Illinois | 8-3 | 86 | +6 |
| 23 | Baylor | 7-3 | 83 | +4 |
| 24 | St. John’s | 10-2 | 82 | +5 |
| 25 | Purdue | 8-4 | 73 | -8 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 Michigan; No. 22 Memphis; No. 24 Dayton;
Others Receiving Votes
Maryland 65; Michigan 52; Drake 51; Arkansas 51; Georgia 42; Clemson 40; Dayton 28; Memphis 25; Pittsburgh 22; Utah State 14; Texas Tech 9; Wisconsin 7; North Carolina 6; Missouri 6; West Virginia 5; Penn State 1;