Gonzaga Strengthens Grip on No. 1 in Men's AP Top 25 Poll

Gonzaga has strengthened its hold on the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll after beating Iowa.

The Zags received 61 of 64 first-place votes from a media panel in the poll released on Monday. No. 2 Baylor got the remaining three first-place votes and No. 3 Kansas moved up two spots this week. Iowa, which dropped one spot after losing to Gonzaga, and Villanova rounded out the top five.

Gonzaga (4–0) returned last week after losing five games to COVID-19 issues and did not look rusty at all against the Hawkeyes. Freshman Jalen Suggs had 27 points and seven three-pointers, and the Zags pounced on Iowa early to win 99–88 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

MORE: Jalen Suggs Leads College Hoops' Five Stars of Week

Gonzaga had 54 first-place votes last week.

No. 10 Texas cracked the top 10 for the first time since reaching No. 6 in 2014-15.

Michigan State dropped eight spots to No. 12 after losing 79–65 to Northwestern on Sunday.

Full men's AP Top 25 poll (as of Dec. 21):

1. Gonzaga
2. Baylor
3. Kansas
4. Iowa
5. Villanova
6. Houston
7. West Virginia
8. Tennessee
9. Wisconsin
10. Texas
11. Rutgers
12. Michigan State
13. Creighton
14. Missouri
15. Texas Tech
16. Virginia
17. North Carolina
18. Illinois
19. Michigan
20. Duke
21. Florida State
22. Xavier
23. Ohio State
24. Virginia Tech
25. Oregon

Others receiving votes: San Diego State 146, Richmond 142, Saint Louis 64, Arkansas 54, Indiana 53, Clemson 28, Florida 20, Georgia 19, Colorado 13, BYU 9, Purdue 9, Louisville 8, Northwestern 7, UCF 6, Minnesota 4, UCLA 3, Oklahoma State 3, LSU 2, Western Kentucky 2, SMU 1