Following a pair of double-digit wins over Loyola Marymount and Pacific last week, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team was unranked in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 poll that was released Monday.
Instead, the Bulldogs (18-7, 9-3 WCC) were among the 10 teams outside of the top 25 that received votes from the panel, along with Saint Mary’s, UConn and UCLA notably. The Gaels have yet to crack the AP Top 25 despite at point boasting a 10-game winning streak that included a 62-58 victory over the Zags on Feb. 3 down in Moraga, California, though their hopes of moving up in the polls were deflated over the weekend after their 65-64 loss at San Francisco.
The Huskies, who beat the Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden earlier this season, fell out of the poll for the first time in two years following a 68-62 loss to then-No. 12 St. John’s. That snapped UConn’s run of 53 consecutive weeks in the poll, which was the fourth-longest streak of its kind in the country.
The Bruins lost four in a row to start Big Ten play after their win over Gonzaga at the Intuit Dome on Jan. 28, but since then Mick Cronin’s group has won seven straight, including a big victory at home over Michigan State last week. Apparently it wasn’t enough to get UCLA back in the AP Top 25, though, as it received 123 votes (No. 25 Maryland was next with 196 votes).
Auburn checked back in at No. 1 in the AP poll despite its loss at home to Florida, while Alabama jumped Duke and the Gators for the No. 2 spot. The Blue Devils, who lost 77-71 to then-unranked Clemson on Saturday, and the Gators tied for the No. 3 spot with 1,342 votes apiece.
Arizona was the biggest risers over the past week, as Tommy Lloyd’s team continued its roll through Big 12 play with wins over BYU (85-74) and then-No. 13 Texas Tech (82-73) to move up seven spots to No. 13 in the latest top 25. The Wildcats have won 11 of their first 12 conference games after a shaky 6-5 showing in nonleague play.
As for Lloyd’s former team, Gonzaga has been unranked in the media poll since it suffered back-to-back losses to Oregon State and Santa Clara on Jan. 16 and Jan. 18, respectively. The Bulldogs have won four of their last five contests, albeit the one loss a crucial one to the Gaels, and have played with much more toughness on the defensive end of the floor after giving up a combined 200 points to the Beavers and Broncos. Gonzaga, which has held its last five opponents to under 63 points and sub-40% shooting from the field, ranks top 20 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency since Jan. 25, according to Torvik.
Here’s a look at the rest of the AP Top 25.
1. Auburn (21-2, 9-1 SEC)
2. Alabama (20-3, 9-1 SEC)
3. Florida (20-3, 7-3 SEC)
3. Duke (20-3, 12-1 ACC)
5. Tennessee (20-4, 7-4 SEC)
6. Houston (19-4, 11-1 Big 12)
7. Purdue (19-5, 11-2 Big Ten)
8. Texas A&M (18-5, 7-3 SEC)
9. St. John’s (21-3, 12-1 Big East)
10. Iowa State (18-4, 8-4 Big 12)
11. Michigan State (19-4, 10-2 Big Ten)
12. Texas Tech (18-5, 9-3 Big 12)
13. Arizona (17-6, 11-1 Big 12)
14. Memphis (20-4, 10-1 AAC)
15. Kentucky (16-7, 5-5 SEC)
16. Wisconsin (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten)
17. Kansas (16-7, 7-5 Big 12)
18. Marquette (18-6, 9-4 Big East)
19. Ole Miss (18-6, 7-4 SEC)
20. Michigan (18-5, 10-2 Big Ten)
21. Missouri (17-6, 6-4 SEC)
22. Mississippi State (17-6, 5-5 SEC)
23. Clemson (19-5, 11-2 ACC)
24. Creighton (18-6, 11-2 Big East)
25. Maryland (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten)
UCLA 123, UConn 106, Illinois 59, Louisville 53, New Mexico 40, Drake 21, Saint Mary’s 20, Utah St. 8, George Mason 7, Gonzaga 5.
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