A pair of big wins this week has Florida basketball’s stock rising again in the major polls. Following a program-record-setting blowout of the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday and an authoritative home win over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday, it appears the Gators are figuring things out during the home stretch.
The latest edition of the AP Top 25 has Todd Golden’s team moving up two spots after posting a 70-point margin of victory in those last two games. The Orange and Blue is now ranked No. 17, nestled between the No. 16 BYU Cougars and No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers.
Compare that with the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, which elevated Florida five spots to No. 16 this week.
SEC schools in AP Top 25 after Week 13
The Southeastern Conference once again has just four schools representing it among the top 25, with the Vanderbilt Commodores reclaiming the league’s top spot at No. 15 after moving up three places. Florida follows at No. 17, while the Arkansas Razorbacks fell six spots to No. 21 and the Tennessee Volunteers re-entered the rankings at No. 25.
Alabama fell out of the top 25, landing at the de facto No. 27 ranking with 48 votes. However, the Texas A&M Aggies continued their climb by claiming the de facto No. 26 spot in front of them this week with 83 votes, while the Kentucky Wildcats (28), Auburn Tigers (8) and Georgia Bulldogs (3) also appeared on the ballot.
AP Top 25 Men’s Basketball rankings after Week 13
- Arizona
- Michigan
- UConn
- Duke
- Illinois
- Gonzaga
- Iowa State
- Houston
- Nebraska
- Michigan State
- Kansas
- Purdue
- Texas Tech
- North Carolina
- Vanderbilt
- BYU
- Florida
- Virginia
- St. Louis
- Clemson
- Arkansas
- St. John’s
- Miami (OH)
- Louisville
- Tennessee
Others receiving votes
Texas A&M 83, Alabama 48, Iowa 39, UCF 39, Kentucky 28, Villanova 15, NC State 9, Auburn 8, Utah St. 6, Miami 4, Georgia 3, Santa Clara 1, George Mason 1, Wisconsin 1.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball AP Top 25 ranking after South Carolina, Alabama win