Florida Holds Top Spot as UCLA Enters AP Top 10

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The first regular-season AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll released on Monday kept the Florida Gators at No. 1. The team that previously held that position, UCLA, climbed into the top 10 for the first time this season.

Florida earned 53 of the 60 possible first-place votes from the national media panel. The Gators added six first-place votes compared to the previous week. Duke received the remaining seven first-place votes to hold the No. 2 spot. Illinois retained the No. 3 position, and UConn remained at No. 4 after defeating Michigan on Friday.

UCLA moved from No. 22 in the preseason poll to No. 9. This represents the program's highest ranking since the final poll of the 2022-23 season. The Bruins earned the jump by defeating Arizona in Las Vegas. Trent Perry scored 21 points for UCLA in the 84-75 victory.

The win over Arizona marked a turning point for the Bruins, who had previously lost to the Wildcats. Ivan Kharchenkov of Arizona set a career high with 38 points, but the Wildcats could not close out the game. Arizona dropped from No. 5 to No. 12 in the new rankings. The loss also caused Arizona to fall out of the top five, allowing Michigan State to take that slot.

Florida coach Todd Golden addressed the upcoming rivalry game against Florida State. The Gators will play in Tallahassee on Tuesday night. Golden told his players they are entering enemy territory as the top team in the country. He emphasized that the Seminoles would be well-prepared and that Florida must bring its best effort.

Several other teams shifted positions in the poll. Virginia moved up three spots to No. 6 after three wins last week, including a victory over then-No. 12 Arkansas. Texas and Houston followed at No. 7 and No. 8. Louisville rose one spot to No. 10. Tennessee fell three spots to No. 11 after beating Wofford.

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd noted that the loss stings but that the season is long. He told his team to remember the feeling of defeat as they approach a tough stretch of games. The Wildcats will play Kansas on Tuesday night. Kansas is one week away from becoming the first school in AP poll history to be ranked for 1,000 weeks.

The Southeastern Conference dominated the rankings with seven teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten followed with six teams in the poll and three in the top 10. The Big 12 had five ranked teams, while the ACC had four. Gonzaga represented the new-look Pac-12 in the top 25. Nebraska entered the poll at No. 25, replacing Iowa State, which fell out after losing to Memphis.

The final 10 teams in the Top 25 included St. John's, Gonzaga, Kansas, Texas Tech, Miami, Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, USC, Vanderbilt, BYU, Kentucky, and Nebraska. Arkansas dropped seven spots to No. 18 following its loss to Virginia. Michigan fell four spots to No. 20 after its defeat by UConn. The poll reflects the first week of regular-season play for most teams in the conference.