Predicting AP Top 25 college basketball rankings: Florida edges Duke, Illinois for No. 1 in preseason poll — SkimNews
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- Florida is predicted as AP preseason No. 1 for the first time since 2006, returning four starters — Boogie Fland, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu — plus Urban Klavzar from a team that was a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament; Denzel Aberdeen is eligible after being granted a temporary injunction last month.
- Duke is widely expected at No. 2, returning Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr plus Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, while Illinois at No. 3 returns 65.4% of its scoring production, tied for the top mark among Big Ten teams.
- UConn lands at No. 4 after reaching its third Final Four in four years, with Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. back even as program stalwart Alex Karaban exits.
- Fifth-year eligibility lawsuits drive major ranking uncertainty — Texas Tech (Donovan Atwell, Darrion Williams, Jamichael Stillwell), Miami (Malik Reneau), Arizona (RJ Godfrey), Kansas (Tre White and Melvin Council Jr.), Gonzaga (Xaivian Lee, Javon Bennett, Chauncey Wiggins) and Florida itself could each swing a half dozen spots depending on rulings.
- Texas checks in at No. 5 after adding 2027's top-ranked recruit Marcus Spears Jr., who reclassified up a year early, alongside returning big man Matas Vokietaitis.
- Gonzaga enters a new era as a Pac-12 member after years of WCC dominance, with Braden Huff projecting as an All-American candidate after averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18 games last season.
- The AP preseason Top 25 is set to be released Monday.
Why it matters: Florida's loaded returning core — four starters back from a No. 1 seed — establishes a clear favorite heading into March, while pending five-for-five eligibility lawsuits leave rankings unstable for at least six teams that could each swing half a dozen spots once rulings come down before Monday's AP release.
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