What Led To Florida Men’s Basketball’s Drop In Polls Despite Dominant Run?

The Florida Gators are on a tear, rattling off six straight wins in dominant fashion.

Yet, despite double-digit victories against LSU (79-65), Oklahoma (94-72), South Carolina (83-62), Mississippi State (79-66), at No. 1 Auburn (81-72) and Vanderbilt (82-71), the Gators dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in The Associated Press and the USA Today Coaches rankings overtaken by Duke while Auburn retained the top spot.

Their last loss came on Feb. 1 at Tennessee, a 22-point defeat that raised concerns. However, let’s not forget — this is the same Tennessee team Florida torched by 30 points in January when the Volunteers were ranked No. 1 in the nation.

So, why the drop?

Duke Makes Statement

Auburn held onto the No. 1 ranking for the seventh straight week, garnering all 60 first-place votes. Duke, however, leapfrogged Florida into the No. 2 spot after a 110-67 win against Illinois at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils’ performance on a national stage impressed voters enough to flip them despite Florida posting a perfect 2-0 week with double-digit wins.

The AP margin was razor thin, with Duke edging out Florida 1,406-1,397 in total points. Last week, the Gators held a slight five-point advantage against the Blue Devils in the rankings, but Duke’s high-profile win proved decisive.

Also, Duke sits at 6-3 in Quadrant 1 games, boasting four wins against teams ranked in the top 25 of the NET. Florida, by comparison, is 5-3 in Q1 with only two wins against top-25 NET teams. This deeper resume ultimately swayed the voters, costing Florida its No. 2 spot.

Despite the drop, Florida (24-3, 11-3 SEC) remains in the top six for the seventh consecutive week, with last week’s No. 2 ranking marking its highest AP position since March 17, 2014.

Shaky First Half At LSU

Florida’s road win against LSU wasn’t as smooth as some of its other recent victories. The Gators jumped out to an early 29-15 lead, but allowed LSU to rally with a 22-2 run to enter halftime down by six. They pulled away late to win by 14, but the first-half woes against a struggling LSU team may have given voters some pause.

However, context is key. The Gators have had strong first halfs against other opponents: up by 22 at halftime against Oklahoma, up by 10 against Auburn and only down by one to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. A single sluggish start against LSU doesn’t erase Florida’s overall consistency.

Injured Roster

At first glance, losing key players to injury might seem like a major setback, but for Florida, it turned into an opportunity to showcase just how deep this team is. The Gators had the same starting five for the first 21 games of the season, but when Walter Clayton Jr. went down with an ankle injury against Tennessee, coach Todd Golden was forced to shuffle his lineup.

Enter Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar — two players who suddenly found themselves with more minutes and more responsibility. Instead of crumbling, the Gators thrived.

Even with starters Alijah Martin and Alex Condon suffering injuries in back-to-back games, the team continued to dominate, boasting five players scoring in double figures for five consecutive games. Meanwhile, Thomas Haugh emerged as one of the best sixth men in the country and Aberdeen delivered a breakout performance, leading the team with 20 and 22 points in separate games.

At full strength, Florida’s ideal starting lineup features Clayton Jr., Martin, Condon (expected back Tuesday), Will Richard and Reuben Chinyelu. Yet, even beyond those five, the Gators’ depth remains strong—with impact players like Aberdeen, Klavzar, Haugh, Micah Handlogten, and Sam Alexis as the second unit.

Given this team possesses the deepest bench in the nation, it’s no surprise that Florida’s drop in rankings has frustrated fans.

Can Florida Reclaim A Top-Two Spot?

Florida’s next test comes at Georgia (16-11, 4-10) on Tuesday (7 p.m., SEC Network, 103.7-FM), followed by a massive Saturday showdown against No. 12 Texas A&M on ESPN College GameDay. After that, a stretch featuring No. 6 Alabama and Ole Miss (unranked, but No. 24 last week) will be a final proving ground before the postseason.

While the Gators dropped a spot in the rankings, their ability to win in different ways makes them as dangerous as ever. With one of the deepest benches in the country and elite backcourt play, Florida has all the pieces to make a serious run in March.