Gonzaga men retain 2nd in USA Today poll but slip a spot to 3rd in AP

Gonzaga remained No. 2 in the USA Today Top 25 released Monday but dropped one spot to No. 3 in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll.

The Zags (24-1), who had a 2-0 road trip in the Bay Area, lost some ground in both polls. Virginia (21-1), which traded spots in last week’s polls with Gonzaga, defeated North Carolina and Louisville to reclaim second in the AP rankings. Gonzaga was second last week by 33 points over Virginia.

Gonzaga, which entertains Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine this week, received a first-place vote in the USA Today poll for the second straight week but its margin over the third-ranked Cavaliers slipped from 40 points to 22.

Jim Meehan