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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga ranked fifth in both polls

Forward Johnathan Williams and Gonzaga raced away from South Dakota on Dec. 21 and remain undefeated through the first couple of weeks of WCC action. But the Zags stayed put at No. 5 in the latest Associated Press poll released on Monday. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585

Gonzaga held steady at No. 5 in the AP Top 25 but dropped a spot to fifth in the USA Today rankings.

Baylor climbed into the top spot in both polls for the first time in school history. The AP poll began in 1948-49 while the coaches’ poll debuted in 1991.

The Zags (15-0) and Bears (15-0) are the only unbeatens remaining in Division I.

Baylor moved past defending national champion Villanova, which dropped to No. 3 after falling to Butler. Villanova had held down the AP top spot for five weeks. Butler jumped up six spots to No. 12.

Kansas moved up one spot to No. 2 and UCLA remained at No. 4.

Gonzaga earned 1,366 points, 39 ahead of No. 6 Kentucky.

The Bears, who face a big road test Tuesday against No. 10 West Virginia, received 55 of 65 first-place votes and 1,608 points. Kansas received eight first-place votes and 1,517 points. Villanova and UCLA each had one first-place vote.

Kentucky, Duke, Creighton, Florida State and West Virginia round out the AP top 10. Minnesota cracked the Top 25 for the first time since the 2012-13 season and Kansas State is ranked for the first time since 2013-14.

Virginia slid eight spots to No. 19. Louisville and Wisconsin each dropped five spots to 14 and 18, respectively.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has six ranked teams, followed by the Big 12, Big East and Pac-12 with four each.

The top five is the same in the coaches’ poll after UCLA edged ahead of Gonzaga into the No. 4 spot by one point. The Bruins posted a pair of easy Pac-12 wins.

Gonzaga defeated San Francisco in its lone game last week. The Zags’ meeting with Portland on Saturday was postponed by inclement weather.

GU entertains Loyola Marymount on Thursday and No. 21 Saint Mary’s on Saturday. The Gaels won twice last week but dropped two spots in both polls.

Gonzaga handed No. 16 Arizona one of its two losses. Florida (12-3), which lost to GU in the AdvoCare Invitational semifinals in Orlando, moved up one spot to 23. Iowa State, which fell to GU 73-71 in the AdvoCare title game, is receiving votes.