Florida is already looking like the team everyone else is chasing.
In CBS Sports’ annual “Candid Coaches” survey, more than half of nearly 100 Division I coaches tabbed the Gators as the best team in college basketball heading into the 2026-27 season. Florida grabbed 55% of the vote, a clear step ahead of Duke and everyone else in the field.
Duke finished second at 16%, while Tennessee landed at 7%. UConn and Illinois each drew 5% of the vote. Arizona, Louisville, Michigan State and Texas also received support.
The confidence in Todd Golden’s team makes sense based on what Florida brings back. The Gators held onto four of their five starters, including projected lottery pick Thomas Haugh, and that kind of continuity is exactly what coaches notice when they’re sizing up a preseason No. 1.
“I think there's no excuse for Florida to not sit at No. 1 most of the year,” one coach said. “80% of scoring back with three true frontcourt monsters that probably eclipse most teams' total salaries by themselves.”
Another coach was even more direct, calling the Gators “stupid-good ... like 30-plus-win good and back to the championship.”
Florida’s core from the 2024-2025 national title team is still intact. Along with Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Urban Klavzar were all part of that championship run. Denzel Aberdeen is also committed to returning, though his eligibility status still needs to be cleared.
If Aberdeen gets the green light, he and Boogie Fland would give Florida a veteran backcourt presence, with Klavzar expected to come off the bench as the sixth man.
CBS Sports said Florida is likely to open the fall as the consensus No. 1 team in preseason polls, and the coaches surveyed seem to be well ahead of the curve on that call.
In Other News...
Jack Pyburn Suddenly Has A Decision Florida Fans Need To Watch
A Louisiana courts temporary relief for 16 players has created an unusual new wrinkle for Jack Pyburn, the former Florida and LSU pass rusher who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. The ruling could open the door for another college football season even after NFL contracts are already in place, provided the players return the compensation tied to that pro deal.
For Florida fans, Pyburns name now sits in the middle of a bigger conversation about eligibility, player movement and what happens when the college and pro paths collide so quickly. LSU has been mentioned in connection with his possible return, and the situation leaves a very real decision hanging over a player who only just took the next step in his football career. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Redshirt Freshmen Are Drawing Attention Fans Should Notice
Maxwell Footballs 2026 Shaun Alexander Freshmen Player of the Year Watch List offered an early glimpse at which young players could start turning promise into production, and Florida had two names on it. Wide receiver Dallas Wilson and cornerback Ben Hanks III both made the cut after flashing in limited action last season, a reminder that the Gators roster still has some intriguing upside brewing among its younger pieces.
Wilson gave Florida a spark as a pass catcher, finishing with 12 receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns, while Hanks showed he could make his presence felt in the secondary with eight tackles, pass breakups and an interception. For a team that is always looking to build depth on both sides of the ball, having redshirt freshmen already drawing national attention is the kind of development the Gators will want to keep seeing as the offseason moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got A Reminder Of What It Lost In The Backcourt
Gonzagas addition of Xaivian Lee offers a small window into what Florida was dealing with when it let him go, because the guard arrives in Spokane with the same kind of steady production that made him useful in Gainesville. Lee came to Florida after his time at Princeton and averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 assists last season, a blend of scoring and playmaking that would have fit naturally into a backcourt trying to replace a lot of lost production.
For Florida, the reminder is less about one departure than about the uncertainty around the whole rotation. Javon Bennett and Isiah Harwell are among the names in the mix, but the Gators still have pieces whose status hinges on court orders or NCAA clearance, which leaves the backcourt picture unsettled heading into the next stage of the offseason. Losing a player like Lee does not settle those questions, and it only sharpens them. [Read more 🡒]