NCAA Basketball: Arizona, Indiana, and Ole Miss rise in updated 2024-25 WTE power rankings

20. Florida Gators

After winning 24 games and making it to the NCAA Tournament, Coach Todd Golden and the Gators are looking to move up to the top tier of the SEC. They lost three key pieces in Zyon Pullin, Tyrese Samuel and outgoing transfer Riley Kugel, who is now with the Kansas Jayhawks.

The big question for the Gators is whether star guard and leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. (17.6 ppg and 2.6 apg) comes back for a 5th year or stays in the NBA Draft. If he goes, that’s a big hit. Otherwise, he’s on the shortlist for SEC Player of the Year next season.

In the backcourt is Will Richard and transfer Alijah Martin, who averaged over 13 ppg at Florida Atlantic. The frontcourt has two new pieces in Washington State center Rueben Chinyelu and Sam Alexis, a 6’9 forward from Chattanooga who averaged nearly a double-double and over two blocks a game.

The health of starting center Micah Handlogten will be something to watch but there’s plenty of two-way depth on this roster. Again, we’ll have to see what Clayton does with the draft but right now, Florida is a threat in the SEC.