Florida Gators Stay Put at No. 24 in Latest AP Top 25

Despite dropping a hard-fought bout with No. 13 Alabama on Wednesday, the Florida Gators stayed put at No. 24 in the AP Top 25.

Photo: Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr.; Credit: Zach Goodall 

Despite a 1-1 week for the Florida Gators (19-8, 9-5 SEC) on the hardwood, Todd Golden’s upward-trending squad remained afloat in the AP Top 25 poll in Week 17.

Florida stayed put at No. 24 in the latest rendition of the college basketball rankings on Monday.

POLL ALERT: Houston jumps to No. 1 in AP Top 25 shakeup, followed by Purdue, UConn; Utah State, Gonzaga, South Florida join poll.

Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/hWv6UDdKw6

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) February 26, 2024

Florida worked into the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 6, 2021, a week ago after surging to win seven games in eight attempts in the bulk of league play.

Notable Quad I victories over No. 10 Kentucky and No. 12 Auburn, and a 2-0 week against LSU and Georgia, laid the groundwork for the Gators’ season debut in the poll at No. 24 in Week 16.

Florida began the week with a ranked road matchup against the SEC’s leader in No. 13 Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have proven notably stout at home during Nate Oats’ tenure in Tuscaloosa, but the Gators shined in the national spotlight to take them to the wire inside Coleman Coliseum. Despite an eventual 98-93 loss, Florida received positive reviews for its performance.

UF returned to Gainesville on Saturday with a chance to bounce back with a convincing victory over the then 7-19 (2-11 SEC) Vanderbilt Commodores.

An impressively dominant first-half defensively built Florida a comfortable 15-point cushion at the break, which they ultimately rode to notch its 19th win of the 2023-24 campaign.

Junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. shined in each contest, averaging for 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steal and just one turnover in the two-game stretch.

Due to the circumstances of the road loss followed by a promising get-right game, the Gators remained steady in the rankings, 

Winning eight of its last ten, Florida is currently considered No. 31 in the NET Rankings and No. 27 per KenPom with four games remaining. It aims to maintain positive momentum against a Missouri Tigers team that is winless in league play to this point in Gainesville on Wednesday.

Golden and Co. will then travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to take on the Gamecocks on Saturday.

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