Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) moves back into top spot after 7-0 start
GAINESVILLE — The Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) boys basketball team has made themselves a permanent fixture at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll.
And after starting this season ranked 2nd behind The Villages, the second poll sees the Tigers back on top.
Andrew Jackson, which has advanced to six of the last seven FHSAA state semifinals, started the 2025-26 season at 7-0 with wins over 4th-ranked Providence (Jacksonville) and No. 14 Ponte Vedra, as well as a win against Bolles (Jacksonville).
The Tigers received eight of the nine first-place votes and were nearly the unanimous top-ranked team this week.
The Villages (5-1) flipped spots with Andrew Jackson from the preseason poll.
The Buffalo, last year’s 3A state runner-up, picked up wins over No. 13 Fleming Island (Orange Park), Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland), and Lowndes (GA), with their only loss to IMG Academy (Bradenton). They picked up the remaining first-place vote.
Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) moved up three spots to 3rd.
The Lions (5-1) lost their opener 66-57 at Providence, but have won five in a row since with wins over RV Creekside (St. Johns), Episcopal (Jacksonville), and RV Raines (Jacksonville).
Providence moved up 10 spots from the preseason poll to 4th this week.
The Stallions (6-2) defeated Impact Christian Academy and No. 5 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), as well as Dr. Phillips (Orlando), with a one-point loss to Olympia (Orlando) and a 72-68 setback at No. 1 Jackson.
Tocoi Creek is tied for fifth with Eustis. The Toros (4-2) only have losses to Fleming Island and Providence, while Eustis has started 7-1 with their only setback to Norland (Miami).
Forest (Ocala) is up nine spots this week to 7th after a 6-0 start.
Newberry (2-0) moved up three spots to No. 8, Ribault (Jacksonville) dropped two spots to No. 9, while Leesburg remained 10th.
New to the poll this week is 15th-ranked North Marion (Citra), which has started 6-0. Also moving in are Buchholz, No. 18 New Smyrna Beach, and Nease (Ponte Vedra), which is tied for 20th with University Christian (Jacksonville).
Dropping out from the preseason poll are Gainesville, Creekside, and Fort White.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Be Well Fitness.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2025-26 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, current record through 12/8, and total voting points)
1. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (3A) (8) (7-0) – 179
2. The Villages (3A) (1) (5-1) – 170
3. Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (1A) (5-1) – 142
4. Providence (Jacksonville) (2A) (6-2) – 139
5T. Eustis (4A) (7-1) – 124
5T. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (4-2) – 124
7. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (6-0) – 116
8. Newberry (3A) (2-0) – 100
9. Ribault (Jacksonville) (4A) (5-2) – 94
10. Leesburg (5A) (3-1) – 90
11. Hawthorne (Rural) (0-0) – 78
12. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (7-2) – 74
13. Fleming Island (Orange Park) (5A) (3-2) – 73
14. Ponte Vedra (5A) (4-3) – 54
15. North Marion (Citra) (4A) (6-0) – 42
16. Williston (Rural) (3-1) – 38
17. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (3-1) – 35
18. New Smyrna Beach (5A) (4-0) – 29
19. Atlantic (Port Orange) (4A) (4-2) – 28
20T. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (6-1) – 23
20T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (1-3) – 23
Also receiving votes: Orange Park (5A) (5-1) – 21; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (3-2) – 13; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (6A) (5-2) – 11; Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (2-1) – 10; Raines (Jacksonville) (4A) (4-3) – 10; Lecanto (5A) (3-1) – 8; Fort White (Rural) (1-0) – 7; Trenton (Rural) (3-2) – 6; Bradford (Starke) (0-0) – 3; San Jose Prep (Jacksonville) (2A) (4-1) – 3; Madison County (Rural) (0-0) – 2; Oakleaf (Orange Park) (6A) (4-2) – 2; Vanguard (Ocala) (4-2) – 1.
