Zags Inch Towards ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25
12/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2008
SPOKANE, Wash. -The Gonzaga University women's basketball team was rewarded after a 2-1 weekend, which included winning the WBCA Classic, by nearly cracking the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25. The Bulldogs are three spots away from being ranked in the Top 25 after receiving 42 votes. The Zags have continued a steady climb up the poll each week, having garnered 14 votes a week ago. Gonzaga was last ranked in the Coaches' Top 25 in early March of 2005.
Gonzaga, who received 36 votes in the AP Poll yesterday and are 7-1 on the season, garnered this recognition after claiming the WBCA Classic title this past weekend. The Bulldogs dropped their opening game of the tournament to Marquette University, host of the tournament, 80-77 on Friday. The Zags bounced back with a five-point victory over the University of Utah on Saturday and used a 69-62 upset win over then-No. 15 University of Virginia on Sunday to win the tournament.
Unbeatens Connecticut (5-0), North Carolina (8-0) and California (6-0) remained in the top three spots of the ESPN/USA Today women's basketball poll released Tuesday But Oklahoma, ranked fourth last week, fell to a tie for sixth thanks to a blowout loss at UConn. That opened the door for Texas A&M (6-0) and Stanford (5-1) to move into the top five in the voting of 31 NCAA Division I college coaches.
Texas (7-0) and Oklahoma (4-2) are tied for sixth, followed by Notre Dame (5-0), Tennessee (5-1) and Baylor (6-1), which fell to 10th from seventh a week ago. Connecticut beat Oklahoma 106-78 in their meeting Sunday in Storrs, Conn.
ESPN/USA Today Poll (Dec. 2)
1. Connecticut (31) 5-0 775
2. North Carolina 8-0 739
3. California 6-0 706
4. Texas A&M 6-0 664
5. Stanford 6-1 645
6. Texas 7-0 587
6. Oklahoma 4-2 587
8. Notre Dame 5-0 539
9. Tennessee 5-1 488
10. Baylor 6-1 473
11. Maryland 6-1 425
12. Rutgers 3-2 419
13. Auburn 7-0 402
14. Duke 4-1 401
15. Louisville 5-1 400
16. Vanderbilt 6-1 321
17. Oklahoma State 3-1 231
18. Ohio State 6-1 225
19. Virginia 5-2 215
20. Purdue 5-1 150
21. Xavier 5-2 108
22. Iowa State 5-1 99
23. Kansas State 5-0 78
24. Michigan State 6-1 70
25. Arizona State 3-2 66
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Old Dominion 56, TCU 54, Gonzaga 42, Pittsburgh 33, Marist 15, Minnesota 15, South Dakota State 11, Hartford 8, Middle Tennessee State 6, Georgia 5, DePaul 4, Florida 4, Nebraska 3, New Mexico 2, Florida State 1, Michigan 1, North Carolina A&T 1, Syracuse 1
