GONZAGA

AP Preseason Poll: Gonzaga men’s hoops back in top 10

Oct 15, 2024, 2:01 PM

Gonzaga Graham Ike Ben Gregg Zags Bulldogs...

Ben Gregg and Graham Ike of the Gonzaga Bulldogs react during a 2024 game against San Francisco. (David Becker/Getty Images)

(David Becker/Getty Images)

After a one-year break, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are once again a top-10 team in the Associated Press preseason men’s basketball poll.

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The Zags are the No. 6 team in the nation heading into the 2024-25 season, and they are one of just five teams to receive a vote for first place.

Gonzaga was ranked No. 11 going into 2023-24, which ended a five-year streak of the Bulldogs sitting inside the top 10 in the preseason poll. That included the No. 1 spot in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, and a No. 2 ranking in the 2022-23 preseason poll.

This marks the 15th straight season the Zags figure into the preseason top 25, and the 25th season in a row that they have been ranked in the AP poll at any point.

Ahead of Gonzaga in the preseason poll are No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 Houston and No. 5 Iowa State.

The Zags had a bumpy 2023-24 campaign, at one point falling completely out of the AP poll for nearly two months. But Gonzaga rebounded to finish the season with a 27-8 record, including a 25th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and ninth straight Sweet 16 appearance, which the Bulldogs clinched by routing Kansas in the second round of the tournament. Gonzaga was ranked No. 15 in the final poll last season.

The Bulldogs have a strong roster full of returning players, including guards Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman, and forwards Graham Ike, Ben Gregg and Braden Huff. They also have added key transfers Michael Ajayi, who led the WCC in scoring with 17.1 points per game for Pepperdine last season, and Khalif Battle, who averaged 14.8 points for Arkansas.

Gonzaga features several Seattle-area products, including Hickman (Eastside Catholic), Ajayi (Kentwood), guard Braeden Smith (Seattle Prep) and guard Cade Orness (North Kitsap).

The Zags are the only West Coast Conference team ranked in the preseason poll. This year sees the WCC welcome in the Pac-12’s Washington State Cougars and Oregon State Beavers as affiliate members for a two-year period in 12 sports, with football the notable exclusion (the WCC does not have a football league). When that is over, however, Gonzaga will join WSU, Oregon State and a host of other new schools in the Pac-12 beginning with the 2026-27 season.

In the women’s preseason AP poll, Gonzaga picked up 16 points, essentially tying for 31st in the voting. The Zags have reached seven straight women’s NCAA Tournaments and 15 total since 2007.

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