Florida picked up a win over Stony Brook before the holiday break, but it wasn’t enough to change the minds of the AP Poll voters. The Gators finished outside of the Top 25 and without any votes for the third straight week.
The team hasn’t been quite the same since losing to Oklahoma in Norman at the beginning of the month. An immediate and embarrassing loss to a then 0-7 Texas Southern team eliminated any hopes of the Gators holding onto a spot in the AP Top 25. Florida also lost a close one to a very beatable Maryland team before getting on its current two-game win streak.
It doesn’t look great for Mike White‘s squad heading into conference play, especially when there are five SEC teams still in the Top 25. Ole Miss, Florida’s first opponent in conference play, isn’t ranked though, so the Gators have a shot at opening things up the right way. Then comes the Alabama Crimson Tide, who just fell nine spots to No. 19.
With a few good wins to start 2022, Florida could easily win over the AP voters and rejoin the Top 25.
A full look at the AP poll for men’s basketball:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Baylor | 11-0 | 1,525 (61) | – |
| 2 | Duke | 11-1 | 1,448 | – |
| 3 | Purdue | 11-1 | 1,371 | – |
| 4 | Gonzaga | 10-2 | 1,335 | – |
| 5 | UCLA | 8-1 | 1,296 | – |
| 6 | Kansas | 9-1 | 1,233 | +1 |
| 7 | USC | 12-0 | 994 | +1 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 12-0 | 985 | +1 |
| 9 | Arizona | 11-1 | 973 | -3 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 10-2 | 901 | +1 |
| 11 | Auburn | 11-1 | 826 | +1 |
| 12 | Houston | 11-3 | 801 | +1 |
| 13 | Ohio State | 8-2 | 787 | +1 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 9-2 | 729 | +5 |
| 15 | Seton Hall | 9-1 | 716 | – |
| 16 | LSU | 12-0 | 609 | +1 |
| 17 | Texas | 9-2 | 567 | -1 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 9-2 | 459 | +2 |
| 19 | Alabama | 9-3 | 426 | -9 |
| 20 | Colorado State | 10-0 | 366 | +1 |
| 21 | Providence | 11-1 | 315 | +1 |
| 22 | Villanova | 8-4 | 312 | +1 |
| 23 | Xavier | 11-2 | 237 | -5 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 9-2 | 207 | – |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 9-2 | 121 | – |
Others Receiving Votes
Illinois 72, Oklahoma 62, West Virginia 52, Loyola Chicago 39, Connecticut 34, Michigan 7, Colorado 5, San Francisco 4, Wake Forest 4, Davidson 2, Iowa 2, Memphis 1, Creighton 1, Minnesota 1
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