The Gonzaga Bulldogs (19-1, 7-0 WCC) moved up a spot in the AP Poll after the Iowa State Cyclones struggled in Big 12 Conference play. Gonzaga is in 8th place and received a total of 1,103 points from voters.
This comes after two in-state road wins in Pullman over the Washington State Cougars and in Seattle over the Seattle U RedHawks. The Zags cruised past the Redhawks, 44-24, despite missing their two All-American forwards, graduate Graham Ike, who landed awkwardly near the end of Thursday’s 86-65 blowout win at Beasley Coliseum (right ankle soreness), and redshirt junior Braden Huff (left knee injury in practice earlier last week).
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This was the tenth different starting lineup (11 different players plugged in this season) used by coach Mark Few in 2025-26. The small-ball lineup with 6-7 senior forward Jalen Warley at the fifth spot proved effective. Freshman point guard Mario Saint-Supery, who manufactured the offense with multiple pick-and-roll lob actions toward the rim, also contributed to the 71-50 victory at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels (17-3, 5-1 WCC) received five total points after losing to their Bay Area rival Santa Clara Broncos (16-5, 7-1 WCC) at the Leavey Center, 62-54, Saturday afternoon. Gonzaga is now alone in first place in the West Coast Conference standings.
In the NET rankings, Few’s group ranks fourth among all college basketball programs. The Zags still remain 3-1 in Quad 1 opportunities, but now 5-0 in Quad 2. As for KenPom, Gonzaga drops to No. 6 (No. 8 ranked offense, No. 9 ranked defense).
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With Bart Torvik, the Zags are placed at No. 10. With EvanMiya, Gonzaga returns to the top ten at No. 9. They are still the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament among most major publications.
The Zags look to continue their unbeaten conference streak in Spokane against the Pepperdine Waves (8-10, 3-2 WCC) on Wednesday, January 21. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+/KHQ. Students will be inside the kennel for the first time since December 7. Will Ike be available since the injury is considered day-to-day?
Arden Cravalho graduated from Gonzaga University in the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
