NET Rankings update: Gonzaga ranked top 15 with opportunity vs. San Francisco ahead

The Bulldogs have an opportunity to boost their NCAA Tournament resume when they host the Dons at the McCarthey Athletic Center this week

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) dunks against the Pacific Tigers during the first half at Alex G. Spanos Center | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Gonzaga men's basketball team remained inside the top 15 of the NET Rankings after taking care of business in West Coast Conference play last week.

The Bulldogs (18-7, 9-3 WCC) checked in at No. 14 in the latest edition of the NET, the NCAA's primary sorting tool for evaluating teams, following back-to-back wins over Loyola Marymount and Pacific. Those victories probably won't do much for the postseason resume, but they keep the Zags in position to move up the pecking order heading into a pivotal matchup against San Francisco on Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The Dons (20-6, 10-3 WCC) catapulted up the NET rankings thanks in large part to a come-from-behind win over the league's last unbeaten team, Saint Mary's, in a 65-64 final from War Memorial Gym on Saturday. San Francisco trailed by nine with less than 10 minutes remaining before going on a 16-2 scoring run to flip the script on the Gaels, who went just 3-for-23 from downtown while being held to seven second-chance points.

The Dons hung on for a 72-66 win at LMU on Saturday, improving them to No. 60 in the NET. That means Thursday's matchup on ESPN will go down on Gonzaga's record as a quadrant 2 game, which is any home game against an opponent ranked No. 31-75 in the NET.

Considering how some quad 2 games can become quad 1 and vice versa, the two categories are often lumped together when comparing at-large resumes. Gonzaga has five wins in the first two quadrants, which would explain why it's ranked No. 48 in the Wins Above Bubble category. Every other team in the top 30 of the NET has at least six wins in the first two quadrants.

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

Gonzaga Bulldogs

NET Ranking: No. 14
Record: 18-7, 9-3 WCC    Q1: 2-6  Q2: 3-1  Q3: 5-0  Q4: 8-0 
Best wins: Q1 vs. Baylor (26), Q1 at San Diego State (52), Q2 neutral vs. Indiana (61)

Saint Mary’s Gaels

NET Ranking: No. 21
Record: 21-4, 11-1 WCC    Q1: 4-2  Q2: 4-2  Q3: 4-0  Q4: 8-0 
Best wins: Q1 neutral vs. Nebraska (49), Q1 at Santa Clara (54), Q1 vs. Gonzaga (13)

Santa Clara Broncos

NET: No. 54
Record: 17-9, 9-4 WCC    Q1: 2-3  Q2: 4-3  Q3: 4-3  Q4: 7-0
Best wins: Q1 at Gonzaga (14), Q1 at McNeese (70), Q2 vs. San Francisco (60)

San Francisco Dons

NET: No. 60
Record: 20-6, 10-3 WCC    Q1: 1-4  Q2: 3-2  Q3: 6-0  Q4: 9-0
Best wins: Q1 vs. Saint Mary's (21), Q2 vs. Boise State (48), Q2 vs. Santa Clara (54)

Oregon State Beavers

NET: No. 66
Record: 17-8, 7-5 WCC    Q1: 1-6  Q2: 2-1  Q3: 2-1  Q4: 11-0
Best wins: Q1 vs. Gonzaga (14), Q2 vs. Santa Clara (54), Q2 vs. UC Irvine (62)

Washington State Cougars

NET: No. 101
Record: 16-10, 6-7 WCC    Q1: 1-6  Q2: 3-2  Q3: 3-0  Q4: 9-2
Best wins: Q1 neutral vs. Boise State (48), Q2 at Nevada (76), Q2 vs. San Francisco (60)

Loyola Marymount Lions

NET: No. 148
Record: 14-10, 6-6 WCC    Q1: 0-4  Q2: 2-5  Q3: 5-0  Q4: 6-1
Best wins: Q2 vs. Santa Clara (54) Q2 vs. Oregon State (66), Q3 vs. Nevada (76)

Pepperdine Waves

NET: No. 229
Record: 9-15, 3-8 WCC    Q1: 0-8  Q2: 0-3  Q3: 1-0  Q4: 7-4
Best wins: Q3 neutral vs. New Mexico State (179), Q4 vs. UC Davis (203), Q4 vs. Northern Arizona (247)

Pacific Tigers

NET: No. 304
Record: 8-19, 3-10 WCC    Q1: 0-5  Q2: 1-5  Q3: 2-3  Q4: 3-6
Best wins: Q2 at WSU (101), Q3 vs. WSU (101), Q3 neutral vs. San Jose State (169)

San Diego Toreros

NET: No. 319
Record: 4-22, 1-12 WCC    Q1: 0-7 Q2: 0-3  Q3: 0-3  Q4: 3-9
Best wins: Q4 vs. Idaho (262), Q4 vs. Boston U. (295), Q4 vs. Pacific (304)

Portland Pilots

NET: No. 323
Record: 8-17, 3-9 WCC    Q1: 0-6  Q2: 0-3  Q3: 1-6  Q4: 5-2
Best wins: Q3 at Pepperdine (229), Q4 at Long Beach State (320), Q4 vs. Lafayette (289)

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• WCC basketball power rankings: San Francisco jumps Gonzaga with win vs. Saint Mary's

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. Pacific

• What Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard said after win vs. Pacific

• Ryan Nembhard makes history in Gonzaga's win over Pacific: 3 takeaways

• ESPN BPI: Gonzaga a 'lock' to make NCAA Tournament

• Former Gonzaga star earns prestigious NBA honor

• College basketball analyst: ‘It’s time to sound some alarms with Gonzaga’

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