Gonzaga moves up to No. 19 in AP basketball poll

Gonzaga’s arduous non-conference schedule should provide ample opportunities to move up or down in the college basketball rankings.

The Zags, No. 21 in the preseason Associated Press poll, climbed up to No. 19 in the first regular-season rankings Monday after a 2-0 start, including a dominant 83-68 win over Oklahoma.

Gonzaga received 466 points, 28 behind No. 18 North Carolina, which climbed seven spots after handling Kansas, and 10 more than No. 20 Tennessee.

The Zags face their first ranked opponent of the young season Tuesday when No. 23 Creighton (1-0) visits the McCarthey Athletic Center. GU faces Arizona State (2-0) in Tempe on Friday.

There was a change at the top with Houston replacing Purdue at No. 1 after a couple of easy wins. The Boilermakers were pushed by Oakland before posting an 87-77 win.

Houston received 18 first-place votes, half as many as Purdue, from the media panel, but several voters dropped the Boilermakers out of their top five. Houston, with 1,462 points, edged Purdue by three points.

UConn is No. 3, followed by Duke, Arizona, Michigan, BYU, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida.

Arizona, led by former Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd, jumped eight spots after defeating defending national champion Florida in Las Vegas.

Alabama, which faces GU on Nov. 24 in Las Vegas, gained seven spots following a 103-96 victory over St. John’s, which slipped from No. 5 to No. 13. Purdue visits the Crimson Tide on Thursday.

Kentucky, which meets Gonzaga on Dec. 5 in Nashville, is 2-0 after blowout wins over Nicholls and Valparaiso, the latter coached by former GU assistant Roger Powell. The Wildcats, who beat Purdue 78-65 in an exhibition game, face rival Louisville on Tuesday.

Gonzaga tangles with No. 15 UCLA on Dec. 13 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The Bruins dropped three spots after beating Eastern Washington 80-74 and Pepperdine 74-63. UCLA and Arizona square off Friday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Oregon, which faces Gonzaga on Dec. 21 at the Moda Center in Portland, received 43 points, fourth most among teams not in the top 25.

The Zags remained at No. 8 in KenPom’s rankings. Kentucky is No. 1, followed by Houston, Illinois, Duke, Florida, UConn, Purdue, GU, Michigan and Arizona. Saint Mary’s is No. 41.

The NCAA’s first NET rankings are usually released in early December. 

The Zags moved up one spot to No. 19 in the USA Today coaches poll. Purdue maintained the top spot by three points over No. 2 Houston, a possible GU opponent at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Saint Mary’s received four points.

Gonzaga was a five seed, Creighton a seven and Saint Mary’s a 10 in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s preseason bracketology. The top seeds: Houston, Purdue, Duke and Florida.