Gonzaga University climbed into the top five in both the USA Today and Associated Press men’s basketball polls Monday following a rash of upsets involving Top 5 schools last week.
The Bulldogs (23-2), sixth in both polls last week, are third in the USA Today balloting of coaches and fifth in the AP voting by sportswriters. The Bulldogs received two first-place votes in the AP poll for 1,371 points and one first-place vote in the USA Today poll and 681 points.
The last time the Bulldogs were fifth or higher in the AP poll was Dec. 8, 2008, when Gonzaga was ranked fourth. The highest ever AP ranking for the Zags is third the final two weeks of the 2004 season. Gonzaga last received first-place votes the final two polls of the 2006 season when they received one in each of those polls.
Gonzaga’s highest ranking in the vote of coaches was second on March 15, 2004, when they got one first-place vote behind Stanford University.
The Zags have a pair of West Coast Conference road games this week starting with an important showdown Thursday at Saint Mary’s College. The Zags (10-0) hold a half-game lead over the Gales (10-1), SMC’s lone loss to Gonzaga in Spokane. GU will finish the weekend Saturday at the University of San Francisco.
AP Top 25
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Indiana (26) 21-3 1,559
2 Duke (20) 21-2 1,515
3 Miami (FL) (17) 19-3 1,499
4 Michigan 21-3 1,428
5 Gonzaga (2) 23-2 1,371
6 Syracuse 20-3 1,293
7 Florida 19-3 1,286
8 Michigan State 20-4 1,178
9 Arizona 20-3 1,062
10 Kansas State 19-4 1,012
11 Butler 20-4 943
12 Louisville 19-5 842
13 Ohio State 17-6 828
14 Kansas 19-4 823
15 Georgetown 17-4 679
16 Pittsburgh 20-5 591
17 Oklahoma State 17-5 587
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