Gators Men’s Basketball Still within ESPN’s Way-too-Early Top-25

The Florida Gators finished strong in 2024 despite an early exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. returns for another year / Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner / USA TODAY

As teams begin to complete themselves, the way-too-early preseason top-25 rankings will continue to shift around according to certain decisions that are being made. 

For the Florida Gators, it saw them go from 15th on ESPN’s Jeff Borzello’s list back near the end of May to 21st at the beginning of July. 

However, it is not that the Gators did anything wrong, but rather that the other teams around them made some roster changes for the better. 

An example is the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

In Arkansas’ case, they got a portal commitment from highly ranked D.J. Wagner and returned Trevon Brazile, a potential draft prospect for 2025, since Borzello’s May edition.

So, don’t panic, Florida’s still doing just fine in the rankings. 

In fact, one thing that Borzello likes about the Gators is their portal class coming in. 

"Florida struck gold in the portal last spring and reeled in three transfers this year," wrote Borzello on ESPN. "The Gators also have All-American candidate and one of the nation's top scorers in Walter Clayton Jr., and Will Richard is a double-figure scorer. Former Florida Atlantic starAlijah Martinwill slot in seamlessly. Todd Golden should have plenty of frontcourt options too:Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh are back, while Sam Alexis (Chattanooga) and Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State) have arrived."

Golden made it a priority to shore up the defense. Florida welcomed a coveted rim protector in former Washington State center Chinyelu and another high-impact forward in Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis this past summer to pair with Condon and Haugh. 

Then, you add All-American candidate Walter Clayton Jr. and 3-point threat Will Richard to the mix, and it is not hard to see why the Gators should begin inside the top 25 at the start of next season. 

Todd Golden has assembled a dangerous squad for 2024-25 and they won’t be taken lightly like they may have been in previous Gators campaigns.