Gonzaga 18th in AP preseason poll; Duke picked No. 1 for second straight year

The college basketball season hasn’t started yet but the Gonzaga Bulldogs are already adding on to a few significant streaks.

The Zags are ranked No. 18 in the AP preseason Top 25 released Wednesday. It’s the eighth straight season Gonzaga has been in the preseason poll and the fifth year in a row in the top 20. It also marks the 17th consecutive season Gonzaga has cracked the media rankings.

Saint Mary’s, picked to win the conference in a poll of WCC coaches, checked in at No. 22. The Gaels return an experienced lineup, led by All-American candidate Jock Landale.

Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s made WCC history last year when both were ranked in the AP preseason poll. GU was No. 19 and Saint Mary’s No. 22 in the USA Today preseason poll.

The Zags’ schedule could feature three top 10 foes. GU takes on No. 6 Villanova on Dec. 5 in New York City. Gonzaga could face No. 8 Florida in the second round and possibly No. 1 Duke on the final day of the PK80 Invitational over the Thanksgiving holiday week in Portland.

Duke, led by the nation’s top recruit Marvin Bagley III and senior guard Grayson Allen, was the preseason No. 1 for the second straight season and the ninth time overall, matching rival North Carolina for most all-time. The Blue Devils received 33 of 65 first-place votes.

Duke is ranked No. 1 for the 129th time, five behind all-time leader UCLA.

No. 2 Michigan State received 13 first-place votes, No. 3 Arizona had 18 and No. 4 Kansas got one. Kentucky rounded out the top five, followed by Villanova, Wichita State, Florida, North Carolina and USC.

West Virginia was No. 11, followed by Cincinnati, Miami, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Louisville, Xavier, Gonzaga, Northwestern and Purdue. Northwestern, which lost to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament, is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time.

UCLA is No. 21, followed by Saint Mary’s, Seton Hall, Baylor and Texas A&M. The Zags and Aggies scrimmaged last weekend in Denver with GU winning by double digits. Several Texas A&M players apparently sat out the scrimmage.

The Atlantic Coast Conference had the most ranked teams with five, while the Big 12 and Big Ten had four each. The Big East and Pac-12 each had three.

Gonzaga, which entertains College of Idaho in an exhibition game on Saturday, returns forwards Johnathan Williams and Killian Tillie and guards Josh Perkins and Silas Melson from the best team in program history. The Zags won 37 games and reached their first Final Four before falling to North Carolina in the championship game.

The Zags will need significant help from the rest of their roster after the exits of center Przemek Karnowski, forward Zach Collins, point guard Nigel Williams-Goss and wing Jordan Mathews.

Gonzaga opens the regular season against visiting Texas Southern on Nov. 10. The first regular-season AP poll will be Nov. 13.