For the first time since Florida hired head coach Todd Golden in 2022, the Gators men’s basketball team begins its season ranked inside the AP Top 25 at No. 21. It marks the first time UF begins its season ranked within the Top 25 since 2019 and the highest ranking under Golden during his tenure.
“I think we're on the right track,” Golden said. “We're very competitive in this league right now, and our goal is to become a top-four team in this league consistently, which is not easy and would be a heck of an accomplishment if we're able to do that. But that's kind of the goal, and I think we're getting there."
When former Florida head coach Mike White made the decision to leave the program and become Georgia’s head coach in 2022, it marked a new chapter for the UF men’s basketball program.
Florida lost in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in three straight seasons — disregarding the 2020 tournament, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak — and failed to receive a tournament bid in White’s final season in Gainesville.
The Gators’ new chapter catalyzed March 18, 2022, when Golden was hired. Since then, the 39-year-old head coach has completely turned the program around.
Golden finished his first season at Florida with a 16-17 record and went 9-9 in the Southeastern Conference. The Gators accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament and lost in the first round to UCF, 67-49.
However, Golden made significant strides in his first full offseason with the program in 2022. He acquired guards Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr., as well as forward Tyrese Samuel and sophomore center Micah Handlogten via the transfer portal, who all played key roles in Florida’s successful 2023-24 campaign.
Golden finished his second season with a 24-12 record and 11-7 record in SEC play. The Gators reached the SEC championship game for the first time since 2014.
UF received an NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 10 seed and lost in the first round against Colorado on a game-winning shot from KJ Simpson.
Now, Golden will look ahead to his third year with lofty expectations.
“I don't want to say it gets easier, but the longer you are somewhere, the more confident you get in your processes,” he said. “Things start working a little easier together, and I thought we had a good offseason. I thought we added the pieces we needed to and retained who we wanted to keep.”
In addition to the UF’s preseason ranking, SEC foes Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky and Ole Miss were included in the Top 25, which is the most of any conference.
The Gators tip off their season against South Florida in the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational Nov. 4 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Contact Luke Adragna at ladragna@alligator.org. Follow him on X @lukeadrag.
Luke Adragna is a third-year journalism student and the Florida Gators football reporter at The Alligator. He is a cat ethusiast and completes the NYT Daily Mini in less than a minute each day.
