It’s pretty strange thinking the Gonzaga Bulldogs have beaten the San Francisco Dons an unbelievable 34 straight times, given that it always seems like these two teams make for a too-close-for-comfort finish.
Nonetheless, that win in the Kennel on Saturday, Jan. 24 (along with a winless week for the Purdue Boilermakers and a loss for the Houston Cougars to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock), inspired the national Associated Press voters to move the Zags up two spots at No. 6. That’s the highest
they’ve been all season long.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels received three votes before the highly-anticipated matchup between the two rivals in Spokane on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
As for the Santa Clara Broncos, they didn’t receive any votes, but are being considered on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The West Coast Conference may not get its shine, but it’s always mentioned as one of the top mid-major conferences, right behind the Power Five conferences.
With Selection Sunday now 48 days away, Gonzaga looks to be on the No. 2 seed line for the NCAA Tournament, with some thinking they’re more deserving of a No. 3.
In the NET rankings, coach Mark Few’s unit stays strong at No. 4. The Zags still remain 3-1 in Quad 1 opportunities, 5-0 in Quad 2.
As for KenPom, Gonzaga drops all the way down to No. 9 with the No. 19-ranked offense and No. 8-ranked defense.
In Bart Torvik and EvanMiya, the Zags are outside the top-ten rankings.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
