The college basketball transfer portal closed last Tuesday, and the NBA early-entry deadline was last Friday, so ESPN updated its way-too-early rankings ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Todd Golden did some major recruiting within his own program, retaining Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Thomas Haugh — the latter of whom was an expected lottery pick. Rueben Chinyelu is testing the draft waters while retaining his college eligibility, and he's committed to staying at Florida if he doesn't go pro.
Florida could bring in Denzel Aberdeen, who was a member of the national championship team and transferred to Kentucky last year, if he's granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.
That means four of the Orange and Blue's five starters are set to return next season, and ESPN says that makes the Gators the team to beat early on. Florida sits at No. 1 on the rankings as April comes to a close — a two-spot jump from the end-of-season update produced after the NCAA Tournament concluded.
"The Gators vaulted to No. 1 following the return of Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon, both of whom passed on the NBA draft to play in Gainesville for another year," ESPN basketball recruiting insider Jeff Borzello wrote. "And although Rueben Chinyelu has entered the NBA draft process, he is ultimately expected to return. That means Florida is likely to bring back the same frontcourt that won a national championship two seasons ago and is coming off an SEC title.
"Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen has committed to the Gators, too, but will need a waiver to play another season. If that happens, there's not much of an argument for any other team to top these rankings."
The Gators swapped spots with the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines and leapfrogged the perennial championship-contending Duke Blue Devils. The Illinois Fighting Illini and UConn Huskies round out the top five. The Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide control Nos. 6-8 spots, putting some distance between Florida and the other top teams in the SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball No. 1 on ESPN way-too-early rankings