Golden, Gators 'Not Satisfied' with Preseason AP Ranking

The Gators are ranked in the preseason AP Poll for the first time in a few years, but that's not good enough for Todd Golden and company

Being ranked in the AP preseason poll is only the beginning for the Florida Gators. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

While Florida Gator fans will certainly be happy to see their team start in the Preseason AP Top 25, head coach Todd Golden has a different mindset when it comes to this ranking. 

“It’s a nice honor, but we’re not satisfied with that,” Golden said during SEC Media Day. “We're using that as a starting point, but we're not satisfied with that being our final ranking.”

However, he does understand that it’s a step in the right direction. 

“Yeah, I think it says that we’re on the right track,” Golden said. “We appreciate the respect that we're receiving from the AP, and it means a lot to us.”

In Golden’s debut season with the Gators, he finished with an overall record of 16-17 and went 9-9 in SEC play. This probably wasn’t what he envisioned in his first year with the program, but this underwhelming play didn’t last forever.

Going into year two, there was much anticipation surrounding the Gators. Most of it was due to the very strong transfer class brought in that offseason that consisted of Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin, Tyrese Samuel and Micah Handlogten. 

And none of these players disappointed in their first season in the Orange & Blue either. Pullin would be named First Team All-SEC and Clayton earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Samuel finished first in field goal percentage in the league, third in rebounding. Handlogten ended second in the league in offensive rebounding.

The Gators finished 24-12 overall and 11-7 in conference play. Moreover, they were one of the best offenses in the country last season, averaging 85.6 points per game in 2023-24. They reached the SEC Tournament final for the first time in 10 years and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

So, it’s sufficient to say there has been a clear progression from year one to two under Golden.

Heading into this season, the Gators are garnering more recognition. They’ve been discussed as a dark horse candidate for the Final Four and have been predicted to finish 6th in the SEC. 

Additionally, Clayton Jr. and Alex Condon were recently named to the All-SEC first and third teams respectively. They have been able to supplement these losses of Pullin and Samuel to the draft with another top transfer class, headlined by FAU transfer Alijah Martin and Washington State transfer Rueben Chinyelu.

But like Golden mentioned, this can’t be their final ranking at the end of the year. Complacency can’t be an option.