Florida drops out of AP Top 25 after shooting struggles, faces No. 18 Georgia next
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 06, 2026, 04:25 IST
Defending champion Florida has fallen out of the AP Top 25 following a 76-74 loss at Missouri, marking their fifth defeat of the season. The Gators have struggled from three-point range, hitting just 26% and ranking 354th nationally. Transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee have contributed but missed key shots. Coach Todd Golden remains confident, emphasizing experience and opportunity, as Florida looks to rebound against No. 18 Georgia.
Defending national champion Florida has slipped out of the AP Top 25 after another tough loss, this time falling 76-74 at Missouri to open SEC play. This is the team's fifth loss this season, and it has already surpassed the total number of losses they had last season.
The gators struggled to shoot three pointers and dropped to 9-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Gators hit just 26% from the deep against Missouri. The team now sits near the bottom nationally in 3-point shooting, ranking 354th in percentage.
Speaking to the reporters on Monday, the Florida Gators coach, Todd Golden, said, “Obviously, shooting has been our biggest issue and continues to be,” he continued, “When you shot-make, it covers up a lot of your deficiencies, and we have not been able to mask those warts so far this year.”
The Gators' performance has been hard to ignore. The team that showed confidence during its last season title run has failed miserably to put in the same efforts this year. There have been multiple errors in Florida's game, including air balls and missed open looks. Players
Much of the focus has landed on Florida’s new backcourt. Transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee have handled the ball well at times, but their shooting numbers have hurt the offense. Fland is shooting just 20% from beyond the arc, while Lee sits under 27%, though Lee has shown signs of improvement recently.
Fland’s struggles were magnified at Missouri when he missed a serious attempt at the buzzer that could have won the game. Still, Golden has resisted limiting his freedom, believing confidence will come through continued opportunities rather than hesitation.
Despite the ranking drop, Florida isn’t panicking. All five losses have come away from home and by a combined 17 points. The Gators remain highly rated in advanced metrics and believe they are close to breaking through.
Florida will try to steady itself Tuesday night against No. 18 Georgia, hoping that better shooting finally follows the team.