Men's college basketball rankings: Gonzaga up to No. 17 in latest AP Top 25 poll
Despite not playing for over a week, the Gonzaga Bulldogs moved up in the AP Top 25 poll ahead of their semifinal game in the 2024 WCC Tournament thanks to a few upsets around the country - including an in-state battle just miles away from Spokane.
Gonzaga (24-6, 14-2 WCC) rose two spots to No. 17 in the poll released Monday, its highest ranking since it was 13th on Dec. 26. A 70-57 win over Saint Mary's in the regular season finale on March 3 boosted the Zags up to 19th, and yet despite not taking the floor since then, the rest of the top 25 teams were reshuffled during the last week before major conference tournaments began.
About 75 miles south of Gonzaga's campus, Washington State dropped its rivalry game against Washington, 74-68, on March 7. The loss prevented the Cougars from clinching their first Pac-12 regular season title since 1941 and subsequently knocked them down four spots in the AP Poll at No. 22. Washington State will instead head into the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 2 seed.
In the SEC, Alabama continued its plummet in the rankings following its third loss in four games. The Crimson Tide fell three spots to No. 19 after its 105-87 loss to Florida in the regular season finale on Tuesday, just days after an 81-74 letdown to Tennessee at home. The skid dropped Alabama into a tie for second place in the SEC table, though it still earned the triple-bye as the No. 3 seed thanks to tiebreakers.
The top three in the AP poll remained the same — Houston, UConn, Purdue — while North Carolina moved up three spots to take the No. 4 position following its win at Duke over the weekend. The Tar Heels look to build off their ACC regular season title in the conference tournament with the hope of clinching the fourth and final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, along with No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 Arizona. All three programs have ample opportunity to do so as the top-seed in their respective conference tournaments.
Saint Mary's also moved up two spots to No. 21. The Gaels seek their third-straight WCC championship game appearance on Monday when they take on No. 4-seed Santa Clara in the semifinal round in Las Vegas.
Here's the complete AP Top 25 poll:
1. Houston (28-3, 15-3 Big 12)
2. UConn (28-3, 18-2 Big East)
3. Purdue (28-3, 17-3 Big Ten)
4. North Carolina (25-6, 17-3 ACC)
5. Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC)
6. Arizona (24-7, 15-5 Pac-12)
7. Iowa State (24-7, 13-5 Big 12)
8. Creighton (23-8, 14-6 Big East)
9. Kentucky (23-8, 13-5 SEC)
10. Marquette (23-8, 14-6 Big East)
11. Duke (24-7, 15-5 ACC)
12. Auburn (24-7, 13-5 SEC)
13. Illinois (23-8, 14-6 Big Ten)
14. Baylor (22-9, 11-7 Big 12)
15. South Carolina (25-6, 13-5 SEC)
16. Kansas (22-9, 10-8 Big 12)
17. Gonzaga (24-6, 14-2 WCC)
18. Utah State (26-5, 14-4 MWC)
19. Alabama (21-10, 13-5 SEC)
20. BYU (22-9, 10-8 Big 12)
21. Saint Mary's (24-7, 15-1 WCC)
22. Washington State (23-8, 14-6 Pac-12)
23. Nevada (26-6, 13-5 MWC)
24. Dayton (24-6, 14-4 A10)
25. Texas Tech (22-9, 11-7 Big 12)
