The preseason AP Top 25 is out, and Florida begins the 2026-27 season where every program wants to be: No. 1. The Gators received 47 of 59 first-place votes after winning the SEC regular-season title last season and returning several players from their 2025 national championship team. Duke earned 10 first-place votes at No. 2, while Illinois received the other two at No. 3.
But the poll’s most interesting stories stretch beyond the top three. Kentucky is closing in on a milestone no other program has reached, Vanderbilt is back in the preseason rankings for the first time in more than a decade, and Purdue’s long run in the poll has ended. Those details give college basketball fans plenty to debate before the season tips off.
2026 College Basketball Preseason AP Poll 🚨 pic.twitter.com/xnXoqyDBgF
— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 19, 2026
Florida has the ranking. Now comes the pressure.
Florida’s No. 1 spot comes with a reminder that preseason expectations do not guarantee a smooth season. The Gators opened last year at No. 3, fell out of the rankings during a difficult stretch and ultimately lost to Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
This year’s team returns a group that has experienced both the highs of a championship run and the frustration of an early tournament exit. Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are among the returning pieces, while Denzel Aberdeen is back after spending last season at Kentucky. That continuity helps explain why voters made Florida the clear favorite, even as Duke and Illinois collected first-place support.
The top five also reflects last season’s deep tournament runs. UConn, which reached the national championship game, is fourth, followed by Arizona, another Final Four team. The early ranking sets up a compelling question: Can Florida turn its preseason standing into a steadier season and another serious March run?
Kentucky is two polls away from history
Kentucky enters the season at No. 23, but the Wildcats are nearing a milestone that has nothing to do with their spot in the rankings. This is Kentucky’s 998th appearance in the AP poll. Two more appearances would make it the first program to reach 1,000.
Vanderbilt, ranked No. 24, has a different kind of milestone. The Commodores are in the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2015, adding a new name to a poll otherwise filled with familiar national contenders. BYU completes the list at No. 25.
Purdue’s streak is over
Purdue’s absence may sting in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers received votes, but not enough to stay ranked, ending a run of 79 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25. Houston currently holds the longest active streak, according to the AP. Missouri and Nebraska were the top teams outside the rankings, giving both programs a chance to enter the conversation early.
The complete preseason AP Top 25 is:
- Florida
- Duke
- Illinois
- UConn
- Arizona
- Michigan State
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Houston
- Louisville
- Arkansas
- St. John’s
- Miami
- Gonzaga
- Michigan
- Kansas
- Iowa State
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- USC
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- BYU AP News
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