See where Gonzaga, WSU are in last AP top 25 before Selection Sunday
Mar 11, 2024, 10:31 AM | Updated: 12:53 pm
Ryan Nembhard of the Gonzaga Bulldogs shoots over a Portland defender on Feb. 22, 2024. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)
(Soobum Im/Getty Images)
The final Associated Press men’s basketball top 25 poll before Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is out, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs and WSU Cougars are moving in opposite directions.
See the full AP men’s basketball top 25 poll
Gonzaga has put its midseason absence from the poll and bubble status completely in the rear-view mirror, coming in at No. 17 in Monday’s new poll. The 24-6 Zags had last week off after beating their two toughest opponents in the West Coast Conference the week before, San Francisco and No. 21 Saint Mary’s. Those two are Gonzaga’s likely next matchups, as well.
The Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed in the WCC Tournament at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena and meet third-seeded San Francisco at 8:30 p.m. Monday in the semifinals. The winner of that game will play in the conference championship at 6 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s earlier semifinal between No. 1 seed Saint Mary’s and fourth-seeded Santa Clara.
Gonzaga has won eight straight and 13 of its last 14 games.
WSU, meanwhile, drops four spots in Monday’s poll to No. 22 after being upset by the rival UW Huskies on the Cougars’ home floor in Pullman last Thursday. Washington State’s fall is the biggest in this week’s rankings.
The Cougars are 2-2 since beating Pac-12 regular season champ Arizona (No. 6 in Monday’s poll) for the second time this year.
WSU is 23-8 and the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Cougs open play in the bracket at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 6 p.m. Thursday, where they will meet either seventh-seeded Cal or No. 10 seed Stanford in a quarterfinal matchup.
In Monday’s AP women’s basketball top 25, Gonzaga (29-2 overall) is up a spot to No. 14. The Bulldogs take on fifth-seeded Pacific in a WCC Tournament semifinal game at noon Monday, with the championship contest set for 1 p.m. Tuesday.
For details on all of the college basketball teams from the state of Washington playing in conference tournaments this week, click the link below.
Hoops Guide: Gonzaga, WSU, UW, EWU, Seattle U in conference tourneys
