DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Gators dropped nine spots Monday in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll after falling to rival Florida State for the sixth straight time in the series.
Florida (1-1), ranked No. 6 to begin the season, fell to No. 15 one day after the unranked Seminoles (1-1) upset the Gators 63-51 at home.
The Gators went 10 minutes with just one field goal as Florida State pulled ahead in the second half for a sixth consecutive win in the series. Florida hasn't beaten the Seminoles since 2013, when current Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan was at the helm of the Gators.
There was plenty of hype surrounding the Gators headed into the season after the addition of graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. from Virginia Tech. Instead, it was the Seminoles -- overcoming the loss of first-round draft pick Mfiondu Kabengele -- who exposed Florida's youth with a roster including three sophomores and five freshmen.
It wasn't enough to move the Seminoles, who dropped their season opener at Pittsburgh, into the top 25.
Kentucky is the new No. 1 team, followed by Duke, preseason No. 1 Michigan State, Louisville and Kansas. North Carolina, Maryland, Gonzaga, Virginia and Villanova round out the top 10.