Gonzaga's Bulldogs are ready to roar into the new college basketball season, but where do they stand in the national picture? The preseason Associated Press poll has spoken, and the Zags are starting at No. 21. This placement sets the stage for an exciting season, especially considering their finish at No. 23 in the final rankings last year.
The Zags, with their formidable frontcourt duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff, secured 387 points from the media panel. They trail No. 20 Auburn by 37 points, but hold a significant 199-point lead over No. 22 Michigan State.
Purdue has clinched the top spot in the preseason poll for the first time in program history, edging out Houston. The Boilermakers earned 35 out of a possible 61 first-place votes. Houston, under the guidance of former Washington State head coach Kelvin Sampson, received 16 first-place votes.
Remember Houston? They ended Gonzaga's season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March with an 81-76 victory. Houston later fell to Florida in the national championship game with a score of 65-63.
Florida, led by former San Francisco coach Todd Golden, is ranked third in the preseason poll, followed by UConn, St. John’s, Duke, Michigan, BYU, Kentucky, and Texas Tech.
Kentucky, ranked ninth, is one of four of Gonzaga's opponents in the top 25. The Wildcats, featuring Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison, plus a strong transfer class, will face the Zags on December 5th at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. This match-up comes three days after Kentucky hosts No. 25 North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge at Rupp Arena.
Gonzaga's schedule is packed with tough games. They will also play No. 23 Creighton on November 11th at the McCarthey Athletic Center, No. 15 Alabama on November 24th in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and No. 12 UCLA on December 13th at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Here's where it gets interesting: Gonzaga had a close call against Kentucky last December, leading by 16 points at halftime before losing 90-89 in overtime at Climate Pledge Arena. They also led UCLA by 60-58 in the final minute before losing 65-62 in late December at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Gonzaga will face three teams that received votes in the poll. Oregon, which meets the Zags on December 21st at the Moda Center in Portland, received 98 points. No. 25 North Carolina received 104, with North Carolina State next at 101.
Saint Mary’s, the reigning West Coast Conference regular-season champion, received two points. Gonzaga and the Gaels will clash on January 31st in Spokane and February 28th in Moraga. These rivals are expected to battle for WCC supremacy once again. This will be Gonzaga’s final season in the conference before joining the Pac-12.
Oklahoma, Gonzaga's opponent on November 8th at the Spokane Arena, received one vote.
Arizona, coached by former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd, is ranked 13th. Boise State, led by former Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice, received four points.
The Big 12 leads with three teams in the top 10. Six Big 12 programs made the top 25, matching the SEC and Big Ten. The ACC and Big East each have three ranked teams.
Gonzaga is ranked No. 8 in KenPom’s preseason rankings. Duke, Houston, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, and Michigan State hold the top seven spots.
Maryland, which faces Gonzaga on November 25th in Las Vegas, is No. 10. Other Gonzaga non-conference opponents include No. 16 Kentucky, No. 20 UCLA, No. 25 Saint Mary’s, No. 27 Oregon, No. 35 Creighton, and No. 40 Oklahoma. San Francisco is No. 66.
Gonzaga started at No. 6 in last year’s preseason AP poll before finishing at No. 23, one spot ahead of Saint Mary’s. Florida opened at No. 21 a year ago before winning the program’s third national title.
What do you think? Do you agree with the AP poll's assessment of Gonzaga? Are there any teams you think are underrated or overrated? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
