Having won seven of their last eight games and coming off an 86-64 victory over then-Number 14 Vanderbilt, Florida is back in the national rankings.   The Gators is now #20 in the latest Associated Press college basketball poll & 19th in the coaches poll.

Florida (18-3, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) may have to keep winning on the road to stay there.  The Gators, who replaced all five starters and their top six scorers from last season, spent one week in the poll in November after a 4-0 start.  But a 14-point loss to rival Florida State knocked them from the rankings and left some questioning how the two-time defending national champs would fare with so many freshmen and sophomores playing key roles.

Coach Billy Donovan isn't sure his team deserves to be there now. Nonetheless, he believes the ranking will give his players another chance to better handle the hype and attention that come with it.