Florida is the new standard at the top of the preseason Coaches Poll.
The Gators claimed No. 1 in the USA Today ranking released Friday, collecting 20 first-place votes and edging Duke, which picked up eight. Illinois followed at No. 3 with two first-place votes, giving the coaches’ poll a top tier that lines up closely with Monday’s AP Top 25. The same two teams - Florida and Duke - also sit alone at the top of KenPom.com’s 2027 projections.
The biggest split between the coaches and the AP voters shows up just below the top three. The coaches put Arizona at No. 4 ahead of UConn, which came in fifth after being slotted higher by the AP.
Arizona’s case is built around a strong trio: big wing Ivan Kharchenkov, five-star freshman Caleb Holt and center Mo Krivas. UConn, meanwhile, brings back what the source describes as arguably college basketball’s best backcourt tandem, with point guard Silas Demary Jr. and shooting guard Braylon Mullins both in the conversation for major positional awards.
After that, the rankings settle into a packed top 25 that features Michigan State at No. 6, Texas at No.
7, Houston at No. 8 and Tennessee at No. 9.
Virginia rounds out the top 10, followed by Louisville, Gonzaga, Arkansas, St. John’s, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Miami, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Vanderbilt, USC, Kentucky, Purdue and BYU.
The full top 25 from the coaches: Florida, Duke, Illinois, Arizona, UConn, Michigan State, Texas, Houston, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisville, Gonzaga, Arkansas, St. John’s, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Miami, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Vanderbilt, USC, Kentucky, Purdue and BYU.
Among the teams receiving votes were Nebraska, UCLA, Missouri, Ohio State, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Villanova, Indiana, Wisconsin, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Creighton, Maryland and Auburn.
The coaches panel includes 30 voters: John Becker, Jeff Boals, Matt Braeuer, Pat Chambers, Scott Drew, Dan Earl, A.W. Hamilton, Alan Huss, Donte' Jackson, Ben Jacobson, James Jones, Greg Kampe, Eric Konkol, Brad Korn, Anthony Latina, Shantay Legans, Jim Les, Luke Loucks, Nick McDevitt, Mike McGarvey, Dan Monson, Chris Mooney, Mike Morrell, Andy Newman, Nate Oats, Matt Painter, Paul Sather, Patrick Sellers, Zach Spiker and Stan Waterman.
In Other News...
UConn Just Showed How Dangerous This Team Could Become
UConns exhibition win over Michigan State offered an early look at just how much upside this group can have once it settles in. The Huskies handled a quality opponent 78-70 and got a strong showing from Nik Khamenia, who paced the offense while the team showed enough poise to keep control late against a Spartans squad led by Jeremy Fears Jr.
The encouraging part for UConn is that this came without Braylon Mullins, who remained sidelined while recovering from an undisclosed injury. Even in October, that matters for a roster trying to build depth and define roles, because the Huskies already showed they can lean on multiple sources for scoring and still finish the job against a Big Ten opponent. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Women Face An Early Test That Could Define Everything
The Associated Press preseason poll put South Carolina at No. 1 and UConn at No. 2, which is hardly unfamiliar territory for either program. What stands out for the Huskies is the road ahead: their womens schedule is loaded with ranked opponents, the kind of slate that can sharpen a contender before the calendar even turns.
For UConn, the early measuring sticks are everywhere, and the biggest one comes in November against South Carolina. The mens program has its own tough path too, with seven games against ranked teams, but the womens side is where the national conversation starts right away, and where a lot could be sorted out long before March. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Already Looks Deeper Than Expected After Statement Win
UConns preseason statement against Michigan State carried more weight than the final score alone. The No. 4 Huskies beat the No. 6 Spartans 78-70 and did it with the kind of balanced effort that usually matters most this time of year, when rotations are still settling and teams are trying to sort out how much depth they really have. Nik Khamenia and Silas Demary Jr. were central to the night, and the overall defensive edge UConn showed suggested there may be more trustworthy pieces in the mix than expected.
Braylon Mullins absence was still part of the backdrop, even as UConn kept rolling through another preseason test without him. He warmed up but remained sidelined for a second straight exhibition, leaving the Huskies to continue building chemistry and answer questions about who fills the gaps around the top options. For a team with regular-season expectations as high as UConns, the early signs are encouraging, even if one notable piece remains waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]