Days removed from a tough overtime loss to Kentucky in Seattle, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team dropped down to No. 8 in what some consider to be the most important Associated Press Top 25 poll of the regular season.
Despite the 90-89 setback at Climate Pledge Arena, the Bulldogs (7-2) are still among the top contenders to cut down the nets this April — at least according to recent history. Since 2004, every team to win the national championship was ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 edition of the AP Poll. If history serves yet again this season, the Zags join a list of title contenders that include: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 4 Duke, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 Marquette, No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Florida, No. 10 Kansas, No. 11 Purdue and No. 12 Oregon.
Given the amount of parity in college basketball right now, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the 2025 national champion emerges from somewhere outside the top 12. No. 15 Houston (5-3) ranks fifth in the country at KenPom.com despite taking on a few early season losses while facing a tough nonconference schedule that featured Auburn, Alabama and San Diego State away from home. Two of those games came down to the wire in overtime.
No. 18 UConn (7-3) has gotten back on track with consecutive victories over Baylor and Texas heading into this Saturday’s showdown with Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies moved up seven spots from last week’s ranking after a gritty 76-72 win over the Bears without Alex Karaban in the lineup parlayed with a 76-65 triumph over the Longhorns. Karaban led UConn to its first true road win of the season with 21 points.
Baylor (5-3) finds itself just outside the top 25 following its third loss in nonleague play.
Meanwhile, a future Gonzaga opponent, UCLA, entered the AP Poll’s rankings less than 24 hours removed from its thrilling 73-71 win at Oregon on Sunday. The Bruins (8-1) have looked stout defensively during their seven-game win streak, highlighted by Sunday night’s thrilling 73-71 victory at Oregon. Junior guard Dylan Andrews banked in a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds on the clock to hand the Ducks their first loss of the season, though they remained strong at No. 12 while UCLA checked in at No. 24.
Back near the top of the poll, Kentucky (8-1) was somehow bumped down one peg after its come-from-behind win over Gonzaga. Ironically the team in front of Mark Pope and company at No. 4 — Duke (7-2) — lost to the Wildcats, 77-72, on Nov. 12 in the Champions Classic from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Volunteers (8-0) received 58 of the 62 first-place votes from the media panel to claim the poll’s No. 1 position for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Tennessee moved up two spots after preseason No. 1 Kansas lost back-to-back games to unranked foes and Auburn fell to the Blue Devils. The Tigers were one of 14 ranked teams to lose last week, including six in the top 10.
1. Tennessee (8-0)
2. Auburn (8-1)
3. Iowa State (7-1)
4. Duke (7-2)
5. Kentucky (8-0)
6. Marquette (9-1)
7. Alabama (7-2)
8. Gonzaga (7-2)
9. Florida (9-0)
10. Kansas (7-2)
11. Purdue (8-2)
12. Oregon (9-1)
13. Oklahoma (9-0)
14. Michigan (8-1)
15. Houston (5-3)
16. Clemson (9-1)
17. Texas A&M (8-2)
18. UConn (7-3)
19. Ole Miss (8-1)
20. Wisconsin (8-2)
21. Michigan State (8-2)
22. Cincinnati (7-1)
23. San Diego State (6-2)
24. UCLA (8-1)
25. Mississippi State (8-1)
Others receiving votes: Baylor 150, Arizona St 143, Memphis 123, Missouri 119, Penn St. 90, Arkansas 89, Drake 67, Pittsburgh 62, Utah St. 57, Illinois 47, St. John’s 43, Maryland 39, Dayton 38, Creighton 32, Indiana 30, West Virginia 30, North Carolina 24, Georgia 21, Saint Mary’s 20, Texas 8, Rhode Island 3, Loyola Chicago 1.
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