AP preseason poll ranks Florida first in men's basketball
The Associated Press released its season-opening rankings Monday, with Florida taking the top spot by a wide margin. Virginia landed at No. 9 and USC at No. 21.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
What happened
The Associated Press released its preseason rankings on Monday. Florida was the No. 1 team by an overwhelming margin. Virginia was ranked No. 9, and USC came in at No. 21.
Why it matters
UNC was left out of the top 25 in the national polls entering the 2026-27 season, the first time in 21 years.
Timeline
- Oct 19, 2:20 PM ET: Florida was named No. 1 in the AP preseason men's basketball poll.
- Oct 19, 6:10 PM ET: Virginia was ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
- Oct 20, 6:52 AM ET: USC was ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP poll.
- Oct 20, 10:49 AM ET: UNC was not ranked in the national polls for the first time in 21 years.
Coverage
- UNC basketball unranked in national polls for first time in 21 years (fayobserver.com)
- USC men’s basketball ranked No. 21 in preseason AP Poll (USA Today)
- Kentucky Wildcats in the College Basketball Rankings Roundup and Tuesday news (Ethan DeWitt)
- KSR's takeaways from the first AP Poll Top 25 of 2026-27 (on3.com)
- UVA men’s basketball ranked 9th in preseason AP Poll (wsls.com)
- Florida No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 men's hoop poll (espn.com)
- AP preseason Top 25 poll reaction: What to know about every team (ESPN)
- UConn men's AP poll: Why Huskies are No. 4 on our ballot (ctinsider.com)
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