Gonzaga strengthens grip on top spot in AP basketball poll

The Gonzaga Bulldogs haven’t convinced every voter in the AP poll they’re the best team in college basketball, but they’re getting closer.

The Zags secured 61 of 64 first-place votes – seven more than last week – from the media panel to strengthen their grip on the top spot. Gonzaga (4-0) received 1,597 points, 59 more than No. 2 Baylor. The margin was 50 points last Monday.

Gonzaga handled Iowa 99-88 in its first game since Dec. 2.

The Zags are quite familiar with the top seven teams. They own wins over No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Iowa and No. 7 West Virginia. The Jayhawks climbed up two spots, the Hawkeyes dropped one spot after falling to GU and the Mountaineers moved up one position.

Kansas, Iowa and West Virginia are 20-3 combined with all three losses to GU. The Jayhawks entertain the Mountaineers on Tuesday.

Gonzaga is the third team to beat three AP top 15 opponents in their first four games, joining Indiana (1975) and UCLA (1969), according to an ESPN Stats and Info tweet.

Gonzaga was scheduled to face Baylor on Dec. 5 in Indianapolis but that was called off due to COVID-19 issues. The teams have attempted to reschedule but it appears unlikely with Gonzaga nearing conference play (Jan. 2 vs. San Francisco) and Baylor with one Big 12 Conference game under its belt and a postponed matchup versus Texas that will be rescheduled.

Baylor (5-0) received the remaining three first-place votes.

Villanova is ranked fifth, followed by Houston, West Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Texas. Gonzaga was originally scheduled to face Tennessee and Texas but the COVID-19 pandemic forced schedule changes.

The Zags are scheduled to face No. 16 Virginia (3-1) on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cavaliers were No. 4 in the preseason poll, but plummeted after falling to San Francisco in the first week of the regular season.

BYU received nine points after its road win over then No. 18 San Diego State. The Aztecs, with 146 points, dropped out of the top 25. The Pac-12 has one team ranked with Oregon moving in at No. 25 with 167 points.

Michigan State slipped from fourth to 12th after losing to Northwestern.

Gonzaga remained firmly at No. 1 in the USA Today poll, picking up one additional first-place vote (25 overall) and 745 points. No. 2 Baylor had the other five first-place votes and 725 points. GU led by 18 points in last week’s poll.  

The coaches’ top 10 was slightly different than AP’s with Villanova at No. 3, followed by Kansas, Iowa, West Virginia, Houston, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Texas rounding out the top 10. Saint Mary’s received nine points, tied for 10th among teams receiving votes, and BYU had four.