The winning streak came to an end for Florida basketball on Saturday in Lexington, where the Kentucky Wildcats beat it for the first time this season in a 106-100 shootout to open up the Southeastern Conference schedule.
Prior to the loss, the Gators had run off 13 straight victories with 12 coming by at least 10 points or more and a margin of victory that ranked among the best in Divison I. However, Todd Golden’s gang had no answers for the Cats’ offensive onslaught on the road, marking the first of many tough matchups on the road ahead.
As a result of its first loss, Florida fell three spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll to No. 8, putting the Orange and Blue between a pair of SEC schools. Kentucky moved up four spots to No. 7 with the win while the Texas A&M Aggies scootched up three to move right behind UF at No. 9.
SEC schools in Coaches Poll top 25
The SEC is represented by nine programs in the top 25, headlined by the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and second-ranked Auburn Tigers. In addition to the aforementioned trio of conference schools noted above plus the two top teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide also join them among the top 10 at No. 5.
After that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs own the No. 13 spot followed by the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 16 and Ole Miss Rebels at No. 22. The Georgia Bulldogs earned five votes while the Vanderbilt Commodores and Arkansas Razorbacks earned three and one, respectively.
Coaches Poll Top 25 Week 9 rankings
| Ranking | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 14-0 | 765 (21) | – |
| 2 | Auburn | 13-1 | 749 (10) | – |
| 3 | Iowa State | 12-1 | 711 | – |
| 4 | Duke | 12-2 | 670 | – |
| 5 | Alabama | 12-2 | 651 | +1 |
| 6 | Marquette | 13-2 | 581 | +2 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 12-2 | 560 | +4 |
| 8 | Florida | 13-1 | 529 | -3 |
| 9 | Texas A&M | 12-2 | 488 | +3 |
| 10 | UConn | 12-3 | 461 | +3 |
| 11 | Houston | 10-3 | 454 | +3 |
| 12 | Kansas | 10-3 | 438 | -5 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 13-1 | 372 | +3 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 12-2 | 350 | +1 |
| 15 | Illinois | 11-3 | 300 | +5 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 13-1 | 287 | -6 |
| 17 | Oregon | 13-2 | 284 | -8 |
| 18 | Gonzaga | 12-4 | 246 | +1 |
| 19 | Purdue | 11-4 | 228 | +3 |
| 20 | Memphis | 12-3 | 192 | +5 |
| 21 | UCLA | 11-3 | 147 | -3 |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 12-2 | 119 | +1 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 11-2 | 110 | +14 |
| 24 | Michigan | 11-3 | 98 | +5 |
| 25 | Utah State | 14-1 | 73 | +5 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 17 Cincinnati; No. 21 Baylor; No. 24 Maryland
Others Receiving Votes
Baylor 49; Cincinnati 38; Pittsburgh 32; San Diego State 25; St. John’s 24; Clemson 10; Maryland 9; Georgia 5; Nebraska 4; Arizona 4; Wisconsin 3; Vanderbilt 3; Indiana 3; UC San Diego 1; Texas Tech 1; Arkansas 1
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