Thomas Haugh is one of the frontcourt players that has made Florida the preseason favorite to win the SEC championship. (Vicky Graff Photo)

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Hall of Fame college basketball analyst Dick Vitale recently ranked his top 12 teams for the 2025-26 season and he put Kentucky 11th.

“Mark Pope reloads again, folks. Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison will be looking to lead an incredible group of transfers, including Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Mouhamed Dioubate. The Wildcats are roaring loud in Lexington,” Vitale posted on ESPN.com.

However, Vitale’s preseason pick to win the Southeastern Conference is Florida, the defending national champion that lost to UK last season to open SEC play. He has the Gators ranked No. 3 behind Purdue and Houston.

Vitale is not the only one high on the Gators. College basketball analyst CJ Moore of The Athletic put Florida no. 5 in his preseason top 25 poll. He has UK ninth and Auburn 10th.

Moore found a lot to like about Florida coach Todd Golden’s team coming off a national championship season.

Florida’s frontcourt, featuring Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, was highlighted as a potential matchup nightmare. Also, the Gators added two major transfers in guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.

Head coach Todd Golden’s ability to reload after a national championship run was also commended. Moore emphasized the Gators’ up-tempo offensive style and potential for further growth from players like Haugh and Condon as central to Florida’s championship hopes.

The Gators are the highest-ranked SEC program in the rankings, ahead of teams like the Kentucky Wildcats (No. 9) and Auburn Tigers (No. 10). Moore likes Florida’s “positional size and elite paint protection” going into the season.

“Florida could play a giant lineup that features Thomas Haugh (6-9), Alex Condon (6-11) and Rueben Chinyelu (6-10) up front. Those three played together only three possessions last season, per CBB Analytics, but it’ll be hard to justify bringing one of them off the bench, considering Haugh’s performance in the NCAA Tournament and the inexperience of the other wing options,” Moore wrote. “That big lineup could also help mask some defensive limitations of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.

“Florida’s up-tempo style should help Fland prove he can be a more efficient player than he was under John Calipari. The Gators will contend for another title if Fland and Lee are productive and if Haugh and Condon continue to gain confidence in their playmaking and scoring abilities.”