Gonzaga just inside top 20 of USA TODAY preseason Coaches Poll

The 2025-26 college basketball season is less than two weeks away, with the Gonzaga Bulldogs opening up against Texas Southern on Monday, Nov. 3, at 6:00 PM PT at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

It promises to be another excellent year for Mark Few's team, although expectations are a tad lower nationally than fans are used to.

After debuting at No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll — the team's lowest preseason ranking in over a decade — Gonzaga only fared slightly better in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 20 after it was revealed on Wednesday morning.

The Coaches Poll is voted on weekly by a collection of NCAA coaches across every conference in college basketball. Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett, Creighton's Greg McDermott, and former Gonzaga coach Dan Monson, now at Eastern Washington, are among those with a vote.

Gonzaga has been consistently ranked inside the top 25 by major media outlets, although concern about the team's new look backcourt and the status of Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster has more uncertainty floating around the program than usual.

Grant-Foster had his eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA and is currently pursuing legal action against the governing body. There is a preliminary injunction hearing set for Thursday in Spokane County, which will determine if the 6'7 wing will get to suit up for the Zags while the lawsuit is ongoing or not.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Tyon Grant-Foster. | Photo by Erik Smith

Even if he does get the ability to play for the Zags, Grant-Foster has only been allowed around the team in practice for about three weeks and will likely need to be brought along slowly in the early part of the season.

Gonzaga has the depth to withstand a season without Grant-Foster, especially with a fully healthy Steele Venters in the mix alongside transfer Jalen Warley and returner Emmanuel Innocenti.

Still, it's not too surprising to see Gonzaga closer to the bottom than the top of the rankings, with only four returners from last year's rotation in Graham Ike, Braden Huff, Ismaila Diagne, and Innocenti.

Gonzaga will get plenty of chances to take on teams around them in the polls, including a matchup with No. 23 Creighton on Nov. 11 in Spokane. The Zags will also face No. 9 Kentucky in Nashville on Dec. 5, No. 12 UCLA in Seattle on Dec. 12, and No. 16 Alabama in Las Vegas on Nov. 24 as part of the Player's Era Festival.

Another pair of Gonzaga opponents in Oregon (26 votes) and Saint Mary's (3 votes) received top 25 recognition, alongside future Pac-12 foes San Diego State (15 votes) and Boise State (1 vote).

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