- Florida is the preseason No. 1 (47 of 59 first-place votes) — the Gators are back atop the AP poll after their 2025 title and coach Todd Golden says the program expects that standard every year.
- Duke (10 first-place votes) and Illinois (2) round out the top three — Duke’s talented returning core wants to shake off recent Final Four losses, and Illinois brings back most of its scoring after a surprise deep run.
- This season’s storyline: roster upheaval and court-eligibility rulings could shuffle the landscape, but teams with experienced cores (Florida’s championship vets, key transfers like Denzel Aberdeen) may have an early advantage.
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