Florida holds onto top spot in ESPN's latest way-too-early rankings

· Yahoo Sports

The middle of the summer tends to be the doldrums for college basketball news, but ESPN is still updating its way-too-early rankings with four months remaining until the opening tipoff.

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In Jeff Borzello's latest offering, the Florida Gators remain atop the standings despite questions surrounding guard Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred back to Gainesville after a season with the Kentucky Wildcats. The problem is, he is officially out of collegiate eligibility and is petitioning the NCAA to grant him an extra year.

"This one comes with an asterisk, as Aberdeen will need to be granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA," Borzello begins. "There's no clear argument for a redshirt year, so his path to playing for the Gators again is unclear. But coach Todd Golden didn't need much in the way of newcomers, as he brought back four starters and his sixth man from a team that won the SEC and earned a 1-seed. International forwards Arturas Butajevas and Domen Petrovic would be the other candidates."

The Orlando, Florida, native played in 83 games at Florida over three seasons, totaling 426 points, 101 rebounds, 80 assists and 31 steals, and was the first man off the bench during the program's 2025 national title run. That year, the 6-foot-5-inch, 190-pound guard averaged 7.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 39 appearances while making all five of his career starts.

Even if Aberdeen does not receive his waiver, Golden still has a formidable roster, returning the nation's best frontcourt of Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu fully intact, while also retaining the backcourt duo of Boogie Fland and Urban Klavžar — the latter of whom was the SEC Sixth-Man of the Year last season.

The 2026-27 campaign begins on Nov. 2, when the Miami Hurricanes take on the Gators at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Florida basketball's projected starting lineup

  • Boogie Fland (11.7 PPG)
  • Urban Klavzar (9.7 PPG)
  • Thomas Haugh (17.1 PPG)
  • Alex Condon (14.9 PPG)
  • Rueben Chinyelu (11.2 PPG)

Men's NCAA basketball 2026-27 Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings

  1. Florida Gators
  2. Duke Blue Devils
  3. Illinois Fighting Illini
  4. UConn Huskies
  5. Michigan Wolverines
  6. Tennessee Volunteers
  7. Texas Longhorns
  8. St. John's Red Storm
  9. Michigan State Spartans
  10. Arizona Wildcats
  11. Arkansas Razorbacks
  12. USC Trojans
  13. Louisville Cardinals
  14. Virginia Cavaliers
  15. Alabama Crimson Tide
  16. Houston Cougars
  17. Kentucky Wildcats
  18. Miami Hurricanes
  19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
  20. Vanderbilt Commodores
  21. Missouri Tigers
  22. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  23. Kansas Jayhawks
  24. Iowa State Cyclones
  25. North Carolina Tar Heels

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida holds onto top spot in ESPN's latest way-too-early rankings

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