The Florida Gators will enter the 2026-27 college basketball season with an enormous target on their backs.
It might be even larger than anticipated.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish asked nearly 100 Division I coaches which team would be the best in college basketball next season. Florida received 55% of the vote, finishing miles ahead of Duke at 16%.
Next up in our Candid Coaches series is another we ask every year.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) August 21, 2026
Who's going to be the best team this season?@CBSSports surveyed nearly 100 coaches. Nine schools got at least one vote. Here are the results:https://t.co/hYBjSjzcPX
Tennessee was a distant third at 7%, while UConn and Illinois each received 5%.
That result establishes Florida as the unmistakable preseason No. 1. More importantly, it shows how coaches around the country view the roster Todd Golden has assembled.
They do not see an ordinary championship contender. They see a potential juggernaut.
Florida’s continuity makes the Gators exceptionally dangerous
Roster turnover has become an annual feature of college basketball, even for successful programs. Florida is one of the rare exceptions.
The Gators return 11 players from last season and 81.8% of their scoring. According to CBS Sports, that is the fourth-highest percentage returned by a preseason No. 1 seed over the past 24 years.
Thomas Haugh is the centerpiece after bypassing an opportunity to become a probable NBA lottery pick. The versatile forward has also been selected by coaches as the leading candidate to become the best player in college basketball.
He will be surrounded by a frontcourt that includes reigning national defensive player of the year Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon.
Boogie Fland returns in the backcourt, while Denzel Aberdeen could provide another experienced guard if his fifth-year eligibility bid is successful.
Three members of Florida’s projected core were starters on the program’s 2025 national championship team. They are now two years older and considerably more experienced.
That combination of talent, familiarity and physical maturity is nearly impossible to replicate through the transfer portal.
One anonymous coach told CBS Sports there was “no excuse” for Florida not to spend most of the season ranked No. 1. Another suggested the Gators could lose only four games before the SEC Tournament.
Those are extraordinary expectations, but the roster explains them.
Golden might have a team capable of winning more than 30 games, dominating the SEC and returning Florida to the national championship game.
The pressure will be intense. Every opponent will treat a game against Florida as a measuring stick.
However, no team in the country appears better prepared to handle it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google