Florida was voted No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the week of February 24, 2014 released on Monday, earning the top ranking in college basketball for the first time since 2007.
Florida earned 47 of 65 first-place votes in the AP poll, and moves up to No. 1 after spending last week at No. 2 in both polls. A winless week by formerly unbeaten Syracuse made Florida's elevation all but a formality, though Wichita State does have more first-place votes (14) this week than Florida had last week (one).
The Gators last topped either poll in the final ESPN/coaches poll of the 2006-07 season, after winning their second straight national championship. (The AP does not release polls after the beginning of the NCAA Tournament.) Florida was ranked No. 1 in both polls for eight weeks in 2006-07, more than in every other season in program history combined.
But after being ranked No. 1 in both polls on February 12, 2007, Florida did not return to No. 1 in the regular season after losing at Vanderbilt on February 17, and had not been ranked No. 1 in the regular season since then.
Florida's next game this year? A trip to Vanderbilt on Tuesday.
For posterity, here's the AP Top 25 for February 24, 2014.
AP Top 25
Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Florida Gators (47) | 25-2 | 1,606 | 2 |
2 | Wichita St. Shockers (14) | 29-0 | 1,549 | 3 |
3 | Arizona Wildcats (4) | 25-2 | 1,494 | 4 |
4 | Syracuse Orange | 25-2 | 1,410 | 1 |
5 | Kansas Jayhawks | 21-6 | 1,310 | 8 |
6 | Duke Blue Devils | 22-6 | 1,286 | 5 |
7 | Louisville Cardinals | 23-4 | 1,152 | 11 |
8 | Villanova Wildcats | 24-3 | 1,113 | 9 |
9 | Creighton Bluejays | 23-4 | 1,103 | 11 |
10 | Saint Louis Billikens | 25-2 | 1,047 | 10 |
11 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 24-4 | 921 | 7 |
12 | Virginia Cavaliers | 23-5 | 909 | 14 |
13 | San Diego St. Aztecs | 23-3 | 886 | 6 |
14 | Wisconsin Badgers | 22-5 | 818 | 16 |
15 | Iowa St. Cyclones | 21-5 | 709 | 17 |
16 | Michigan Wolverines | 19-7 | 653 | 20 |
17 | Kentucky Wildcats | 21-6 | 629 | 18 |
18 | Michigan St. Spartans | 22-6 | 552 | 13 |
19 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 20-7 | 440 | NR |
20 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 19-7 | 418 | 15 |
21 | Memphis Tigers | 21-6 | 288 | 22 |
22 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 22-6 | 253 | 24 |
23 | SMU Mustangs | 22-6 | 155 | NR |
24 | Texas Longhorns | 20-7 | 129 | 19 |
25 | New Mexico Lobos | 21-5 | 113 | NR |
And here's the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.
USA TODAY Sports coaches poll
Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Florida Gators (24) | 25-2 | 791 | 2 |
2 | Wichita St. Shockers (8) | 29-0 | 771 | 3 |
3 | Arizona Wildcats | 25-2 | 727 | 4 |
4 | Louisville Cardinals | 23-4 | 660 | 5 |
5 | Syracuse Orange | 25-2 | 625 | 1 |
6 | Kansas Jayhawks | 21-6 | 619 | 8 |
7 | Duke Blue Devils | 22-6 | 594 | 6 |
8 | Saint Louis Billikens | 25-2 | 563 | 10 |
9 | Villanova Wildcats | 24-3 | 538 | 11 |
10 | Creighton Bluejays | 23-4 | 514 | 12 |
11 | Virginia Cavaliers | 23-5 | 480 | 13 |
12 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 24-4 | 460 | 9 |
13 | San Diego St. Aztecs | 23-3 | 452 | 7 |
14 | Wisconsin Badgers | 22-5 | 358 | 18 |
15 | Kentucky Wildcats | 21-6 | 343 | 16 |
16 | Michigan Wolverines | 19-7 | 315 | 20 |
17 | Iowa St. Cyclones | 21-5 | 291 | 19 |
18 | Michigan St. Spartans | 22-6 | 275 | 14 |
19 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 19-7 | 229 | 15 |
20 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 22-6 | 166 | 23 |
21 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 20-7 | 153 | NR |
22 | Memphis Tigers | 21-6 | 124 | 24 |
23 | Texas Longhorns | 20-7 | 102 | 17 |
24 | SMU Mustangs | 22-6 | 57 | NR |
25 | Oklahoma Sooners | 20-7 | 52 | NR |