Gonzaga top 10 in updated KenPom rankings for 2025-26 season

KenPom's updated rankings are favorable to Mark Few and Gonzaga

Oct 4, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guards Braeden Smith (3) and Adam Miller (23) fist bump during Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have long been darlings of the college basketball analytical world.

Few's high-octane, highly efficient offense, and the team's tendency to dominate opponents, have led to them ranking very high in computer models — often ahead of where major media outlets are projecting this program.

KenPom, the most popular college hoops analytics site, refreshed its rankings ahead of the 2025-26 season, and that pattern unsurprisingly continued — with Gonzaga ranked higher by the computer than anywhere else.

Gonzaga comes in at No. 8 in KenPom's model, behind Houston, Florida, Purdue, Kentucky, UConn, Illinois, and Duke.

KenPom projects Gonzaga's offensive rating — a measurement of offensive efficiency based on the average number of points scored per 100 possessions, and adjusted for opponent — to be the ninth best in college basketball, while their defensive rating is projected at No. 20.

Gonzaga is one of seven teams to be top 20 in both offensive and defensive rating, joining UConn, Florida, Illinois, Duke, Kentucky, and Houston. Only Florida, Kentucky, and Houston are in the top ten in both categories.

KenPom is one of, if not the only, major outlet including the Zags inside the top ten. ESPN's updated rankings have Gonzaga at No. 20, while On3 has the Zags No. 24 and Jon Rothstein has them at No. 18. Even other computer models, like EvanMiya (12) and Bart Torvik (24), aren't as high on the Zags as KenPom is.

It's worth noting that KenPom's roster does not include Tyon Grant-Foster, who is with the team after the NCAA granted him a practice waiver earlier this month. However, the Grand Canyon transfer and former WAC Player of the Year is still waiting for a waiver to participate in games this upcoming season. Should that be granted, Gonzaga may move even further up the rankings due to its scoring prowess and strong defense on the perimeter.

Oct 4, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) high-fives Tyon Grant-Foster (7) during Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Gonzaga is the clear favorite in the WCC based on KenPom's ranking, coming in well ahead of Saint Mary's (55) and San Francisco (84), who are the only other conference teams in the top 100.

Next up for the WCC is Santa Clara (105), Seattle U (116), Oregon State (129), Washington State (137), LMU (138), Pacific (168), San Diego (173), Pepperdine (250), and Portland (268).

Gonzaga's nonconference slate is loaded according to KenPom, with eight of the 12 known matchups occurring against top 75 teams: Kentucky (4), UCLA (10), Alabama (23), Maryland (34), Oregon (37), Creighton (41), Oklahoma (58), and Arizona State (75). The other four games are against Campbell (203), Southern Utah (269), Texas Southern (300), and North Florida (341).

Rosters are overhauled significantly year over year, but it's worth noting what Gonzaga's new conference — the Pac-12 — would look like if it were formed this year. In order, the new look Pac-12 would be Gonzaga (8), San Diego State (30), Utah State (42), Boise State (53), Colorado State (79), Oregon State (129), Washington State (137), Texas State (176) and Fresno State (190).

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