Gonzaga biggest riser in updated USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Mark Few's team is 4-0 with wins over three power conference opponents

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 4-0 so far this college basketball season, with three of those wins coming against teams ranked inside the top 100 at KenPom.

Gonzaga's wins over Creighton and Arizona State last week were enough for the Zags to be the biggest riser in the Week 3 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, which was published on Monday morning.

Gonzaga climbed seven spots from No. 19 to No. 12, coming in just one spot behind next Monday's opponent, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and one spot ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats, who the Zags will face on Dec. 5 in Nashville.

The seven-spot jump was the biggest of any team in the top 25, just ahead of Louisville and Illinois, who each jumped six spots - Louisville from 12 to No. 6 and Illinois from 13 to No. 7.

Gonzaga is up to No. 2 at KenPom, behind Duke at No. 1 and ahead of Houston, Kentucky, and Purdue at 3-5. The Zags defeated Oklahoma and Creighton in Spokane and followed that with a road win over a gritty Arizona State club on Friday. All three of those teams are inside the top 82 at KenPom currently - a feat no other team has accomplished to date this season.

Few's team is also one of just three teams with two or more wins over teams ranked inside the top 70 at KenPom, with the others being Arizona and Georgetown.

Gonzaga will look to move to 5-0 on Monday night when the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah come to town, with tip slated for 6:00 PM PT. After that, the Zags will have the rest of the week off to prepare for a matchup with No. 11 Alabama on Monday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 PM PT in Las Vegas - the team's first game as part of the Player's Era Festival. Gonzaga will then face Maryland on Tuesday and will have a third game on either Wednesday or Thursday, with the opponent of that game to be determined based on how Gonzaga does against the Crimson Tide and Terrapins.

Gonzaga has matchups against three teams in the top 25, with UCLA (No. 20) joining Kentucky and Alabama. Creighton fell out of the top 25 after losing to Gonzaga last Tuesday, although they still picked up 15 votes - good for 34th place. Saint Mary's (27 votes, 28th) and Oregon (19 votes, 32nd) also received votes.

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