Gonzaga outside top 20 in 2025-26 preseason AP Poll

The Zags received their lowest preseason ranking in over a decade

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

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked in the preseason AP Poll for the 16th consecutive year, a remarkable testament to this program's consistency.

The Zags came in at No. 21 on the 2025-26 preseason poll, which was released Monday morning. No. 21 is actually the lowest preseason ranking the Zags have had since 2012-13, when they were also at No. 21 to begin the season.

That year, Gonzaga defied all expectations and earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking and No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 9 seed Wichita State in the Round of 32.

This year's ranking is likely due to a variety of factors, most notably the uncertainty around prized transfer portal addition Tyon Grant-Foster. Grant-Foster, who was the WAC Player of the Year in 2023-25 with Grand Canyon, committed to Gonzaga back in May out of the transfer portal.

However, the 6'7 wing has yet to receive a waiver granting him an additional year of eligibility, despite months of waiting. The NCAA did give Grant-Foster a practice waiver earlier this month, allowing him to join the team in Spokane and even participate in Kraziness in the Kennel, but it is still unclear if he will be allowed to suit up for coach Few's club this season.

Gonzaga Bulldogs player Tyon Grant-Foster (7). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

Grant-Foster's status, as well as the relative inexperience of Gonzaga's backcourt — which only includes one player who has played in a Zag uniform before in Emmanuel Innocenti — is why there is some trepidation around this program heading into 2025-26.

Three of Gonzaga's guards do have time spent in the program, with both Braeden Smith and Jalen Warley redshirting last year, while Steele Venters has been a Zag for two seasons but has not seen the floor due to a knee injury and then an Achilles injury.

That continuity should work in Gonzaga's favor, and the talent level of that trio, along with Arizona State transfer Adam Miller and Spanish star Mario Saint-Supery, should have this group firing on all cylinders before too long.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23) at the 2025 Kraziness in the Kennel event at McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Mercedes Smith

Gonzaga will get plenty of chances to prove itself against top 25 opponents, including a matchup in Week 2 against No. 23 Creighton on Nov. 11 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The Zags will also take on No. 9 Kentucky in Nashville on Dec. 5, No. 12 UCLA in Seattle on Dec. 13, and No. 15 Alabama in Las Vegas on Nov. 24 as part of the Player's Era Festival.

Gonzaga also has matchups against three teams that received votes in the preseason poll: Oregon (98 votes) on Dec. 21 in Portland, Oklahoma (1 vote) on Nov. 8 at the Spokane Arena, and twice against WCC opponent Saint Mary's, which received two votes.

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