Gonzaga earns favorable seed in updated CBS Sports bracketology report

The Zags are 5-0 on the season ahead of the Player's Era Festival next week

Gonzaga Bulldogs Braeden Smith (left), Graham Ike (middle) and Braden Huff (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

It has been three years since the Gonzaga Bulldogs earned a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament, a streak Mark Few and this group are hoping to end in 2026.

After earning a No. 8 seed last year, the program's lowest since 2016, Gonzaga brought in a bevy of experienced players to help get this team back into the national conversation once again, and so far, the early returns are quite promising in Spokane.

CBS Sports' Bracketology model released an update on Wednesday, which has coach Few's team as a No. 2 seed in the West Region, where they would face No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast in the first round in San Diego.

A potential second-round matchup would be between the No. 7 seed Kansas Jayhawks and No. 10 seed Texas Longhorns, setting up either another battle against Bill Self and Kansas after Gonzaga beat them in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, or a contest against longtime foe Sean Miller at Texas.

The other top seeds in the West region include No. 1 seed Purdue, the defending champion Florida Gators as a No. 3 seed, BYU as the No. 4, and Michigan State as the No. 5, fresh off a big-time win over Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night.

Gonzaga is 5-0 on the year and vaulted up to No. 1 overall in the KenPom team ratings, although Duke has since passed them after defeating Kansas on Tuesday. Still, Gonzaga has won every game they have played by double figures, which includes defeating three teams inside the top 90 at KenPom: Oklahoma (65), Creighton (47) and Arizona State (88).

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga is not only one of the top scoring teams in the country, but they are outstanding on the defensive end of the floor as well, coming in at No. 3 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency thanks to elite on-ball pressure from players like Emmanuel Innocenti, Jalen Warley, Mario Saint-Supery, and Tyon Grant-Foster.

Coach Few's team has plenty more challenging games on the schedule to help this team prepare for March, including matchups with four projected NCAA Tournament teams: Alabama (5 seed) next Monday in the Player's Era Festival, Kentucky (4 seed) on Dec. 5 in Nashville, UCLA (8 seed) on Dec. 13 in Seattle, and at least two against Saint Mary's (8 seed) in the WCC regular season. Although not included in CBS' updated projections, it would not be a surprise to see Oregon — who Gonzaga faces in Portland on Dec. 21 — in the field of 68 as well.

Gonzaga is also likely to face another NCAA Tournament team at the Player's Era Festival on either Wednesday or Thursday, Nov. 26/27, with potential matchups including Houston (1 seed), Tennessee (2), Michigan (5), Auburn (6), St. John's (7), or Baylor (7).