Florida basketball’s gauntlet of a non-conference schedule has been nothing short of brutal, with three losses to top-five teams through nine games. Still, various publications continue listing the Gators as a top-25 team (or better), the latest being ESPN in its weekly power rankings.
Basketball recruiting insider Jeff Borzello ranked the Orange and Blue No. 9 after a 2-1 start, citing “real concerns … particularly on the perimeter.” The Gators held steady after beating Miami, but back-to-back losses knocked Florida down nine places to No. 21 a week ago. Following a narrow loss to UConn, Florida dropped three more spots to No. 24, barely staying inside the top 25.
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Here’s how Borzello justified the decision:
“Todd Golden said that the Gators are ‘through the toughest part of (their) schedule.’ Given it’s not even mid-December and they haven’t played an SEC game yet, it sounded like a stretch — but he might not be wrong,” Borzello wrote. “The defending champions have already played top-five teams Arizona, Duke and UConn, losing all three games by a combined 11 points. Their fourth loss also came away from home. While they have already matched their loss total from last season, the Gators are still a legitimate threat to be the best team in the SEC over the next few months.”
Florida has a chance to right the ship over the next week with matchups against George Washington (neutral site) and Saint Francis. A loss to Saint Francis would be devastating, given it’s a Quadrant 4 matchup. The Gators have won both of their Q4 games this year by an average of 37.5 points.
George Washington is a sneaky Quadrant 2 matchup, benefiting from the neutral-site designation. However, the game is still in-state (Sunrise in Broward County), making it somewhat of a home game for Florida.
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Winning both games might not send Florida shooting up ESPN’s power rankings, but it gives the Gators some better footing heading into SEC play. The Gators close out the 2025 calendar year with similar matchups against Colgate and Dartmouth before starting conference play at Missouri on Jan. 1.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators basketball dips in ESPN power rankings after Uconn loss
