NET Rankings update: Gonzaga continues slide

The Bulldogs have dropped 16 spots since debuting in the top three of the NET Rankings in December

Gonzaga senior guard Ryan Nembhard. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Consecutive losses in West Coast Conference play have the Gonzaga men's basketball back at the drawing board this week.

The Bulldogs (14-6, 5-2 WCC) are in need of a reboot — particularly on the defensive end of the floor — after lackluster performances in back-to-back games against Oregon State and Santa Clara. The Beavers knocked down a season-high 58.5% of their attempts and scored 97 points in an overtime final from Corvallis, Oregon, on Thursday. Just days later, the Broncos drained 18 3-pointers and became the first visitors to cross the 100-point threshold at the McCarthey Athletic Center in a 103-99 win over the Zags.

Giving up a combined 200 points over a two-game stretch isn't very Gonzaga-like, especially based on where the Bulldogs' defensive efficiency numbers ranked among the other top teams in the country during nonconference play. A two-game losing skid in WCC play is even more of a rarity for Mark Few and company, and as such, they'll have some ground to make up for over the next couple of weeks to keep up in the race for the league's regular season title.

Saint Mary's (17-3, 7-0 WCC) has a firm grasp on the No. 1 spot in the standings following a 71-51 triumph over San Francisco (16-6, 6-3 WCC) Thursday night in Moraga, California. Santa Clara (14-7, 6-2 WCC) is right behind the Gaels after thumping Washington State for their fifth win in their last six contests, while Gonzaga sits a half-game back in the No. 3 spot with one fewer win than the Broncos.

While the Bulldogs have work to do in league play, they're still the top-ranked WCC team in the NET Rankings, the all-important evaluation tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Gonzaga is No. 19 in the NET, followed by Saint Mary's (No. 25), Santa Clara (No. 56), Oregon State (No. 60) and San Francisco (No. 72). The WCC's five teams inside the top 75 of the NET is tied with the Mountain West Conference for the most among mid-major leagues.

The Bulldogs, who debuted at No. 3 in the NET back on Dec. 1, have dropped 16 spots due to in part to the lack of high-quality wins as of late. Gonzaga has lost five quadrant 1 games in a row (West Virginia, Kentucky, UConn, UCLA and Oregon State) plus a quad 2 loss at home to Santa Clara.

There will be opportunities for the Zags to regain some of the ground they lost, with four more quad 1 contests on the schedule and a pair of quad 2 games left to play. ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi had the Bulldogs on the 7-seed line in his latest update released Friday. Saint Mary's, while notably projected to earn the WCC's automatic bid, was a 9-seed in the South Region.

The Gaels have rolled through league play so far heading into a pivotal three-week stretch before the conference tournament. Perhaps that's exactly what Randy Bennett and company need, though, considering Saint Mary's doesn't have a win or loss in the quad 1 column with less than a week until the calendar flips to February.

Even more frustrating for the Gaels, they had no control over Utah's slippage in Big 12 play, nor Nebraska's struggles in the Big Ten. The Utes and Cornhuskers were two of Saint Mary's more notable wins this season, though both games have fallen in the quad 2 category. Along with Boise State, which dropped to No. 51 in the most recent NET update.

Here’s a closer look at each WCC team’s resume through the lens of the NET.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

NET Ranking: No. 19
Record: 14-6, 5-2 WCC    Q1: 2-5  Q2: 2-1  Q3: 4-0  Q4: 6-0 
Best win: vs. Baylor (28)

Saint Mary’s Gaels

NET Ranking: No. 25
Record: 17-3, 7-0 WCC    Q1: 0-0  Q2: 4-3  Q3: 3-0  Q4: 9-0 
Best win: vs. Nebraska (55)

Santa Clara Broncos

NET: No. 56
Record: 14-7, 6-2 WCC    Q1: 2-2  Q2: 4-3  Q3: 4-2  Q4: 4-0
Best win: at Gonzaga (19)

Oregon State Beavers

NET: No. 60
Record: 15-6, 5-3 WCC    Q1: 1-4  Q2: 1-1  Q3: 2-1  Q4: 10-0
Best win: vs. Gonzaga (19)

San Francisco Dons

NET: No. 72
Record: 16-6, 6-3 WCC    Q1: 0-5  Q2: 3-1  Q3: 4-0  Q4: 8-0
Best win: vs. Boise State (51)

Washington State Cougars

NET: No. 86
Record: 15-6, 5-3 WCC    Q1: 1-3  Q2: 3-2  Q3: 3-0  Q4: 8-1
Best win: at Nevada (73)

Loyola Marymount Lions

NET: No. 157
Record: 12-8, 4-4 WCC    Q1: 0-3  Q2: 3-4  Q3: 4-0  Q4: 4-1
Best win: vs. Santa Clara (56)

Pepperdine Waves

NET: No. 220
Record: 7-13, 1-6 WCC    Q1: 0-8  Q2: 0-2  Q3: 1-0  Q4: 5-3
Best win: vs. New Mexico State (154)

Pacific Tigers

NET: No. 304
Record: 6-16, 1-7 WCC    Q1: 0-3  Q2: 1-5  Q3: 1-2  Q4: 2-6
Best win: at Washington State (86)

San Diego Toreros

NET: No. 311
Record: 4-17, 1-7 WCC    Q1: 0-5  Q2: 0-3  Q3: 0-2  Q4: 3-7
Best win: vs. Idaho (236)

Portland Pilots

NET: No. 315
Record: 7-14, 0-4 WCC    Q1: 0-3  Q2: 0-3  Q3: 0-4  Q4: 3-2
Best win: vs. Lafayette (262)

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