College basketball rankings: Florida earns No. 1 spot in preseason AP Top 25 poll ahead of Duke, Illinois
CBS Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Florida is ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 men's basketball poll for the first time since 2006, receiving 47 of 59 first-place votes and returning four starters from a 27-win team that earned a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed last season.
- Duke is ranked No. 2, returning key players and adding a top recruit, while Illinois and UConn round out the top four, with Florida, Duke, and Illinois receiving first-place votes.
- Florida opens the season against No. 14 Miami in a highly anticipated in-state matchup, testing the Gators early in their pursuit of a potential second national title in three seasons.
- Kansas and Texas Tech are ranked in the teens due to eligibility uncertainties for multiple players, despite having strong rosters expected to compete for the Big 12 title.
- Reigning national champion Michigan starts at No. 16 amid significant roster turnover and injuries, including the loss of a key five-star guard to a torn ACL.
