Florida basketball started the 2026-27 season strong, notching a pair of victories during the opening week.

The Gators started the schedule with a 77-67 win over then-17th-ranked Miami in Tampa before dismantling Jacksonville, 88-57, in their home opener. There is still a long way to go before the NCAA Tournament, but Todd Golden's gang has looked good so far — particularly from beyond the arc, an area that the team struggled from last season.

Following the first week of play, Florida maintained its perch atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with 786 points and 22 first-place votes, which represents a 54-point improvement and two-vote increase from the preseason poll. The Gators now hold a narrow 12-point lead over second-ranked Duke, which has nine first-place votes, and a 52-point edge over third-ranked Illinois and its lone first-place vote.

The Coaches Poll includes seven SEC schools among the top 25 — one fewer than the preseason rankings — headlined by top-ranked Florida, followed by Texas (No. 7), Tennessee (No. 9), Alabama (No. 16), Vanderbilt (No. 19) and Arkansas (No. 20). Kentucky dropped from No. 23 to the de facto No. 26 spot with 101 points, while Texas A&M (11), Missouri (4) and LSU (3) also appeared on the ballot.

Florida travels to Tallahassee this week for its only true road game before the SEC schedule, facing FSU on Tuesday night, then returns home on Friday to host Merrimack.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll top-25 rankings after Week 1

Schools Dropped Out

No. 23 Kentucky; No. 24 Purdue

Others Receiving Votes

Kentucky 101; Memphis 34; Saint Louis 23; Purdue 12; Indiana 12; Texas A&M 11; Baylor 9; North Carolina 6; Marquette 6; West Virginia 5; Missouri 4; LSU 3; Wisconsin 1; Villanova 1; Nevada 1

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida holds onto top spot in Coaches Poll after first week of play

Source: Yahoo Sports