SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men's basketball was ranked No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press poll, which was released Monday. The Bulldogs received 1,157 points in the preseason ranking, along with a first-place vote.
This marks the 24th straight season GU has been ranked in the AP poll. It's the 15th consecutive year the Zags have appeared in the preseason poll, starting in the top-20 for the 12th straight season. Gonzaga joins Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina as the only programs that have appeared in each of the last 15 preseason AP Polls. Since 2017, GU averages a 7.25 ranking in the AP Preseason Poll, which ranks fourth in the nation.
The Bulldogs have appeared in 149 out of the last 155 AP Polls all since the start of the 2017 season, only behind Kansas's 154 appearances. Gonzaga has an average ranking of 6.6 in the AP Polls since 2017, which is second behind Kansas at 6.0.
The Zags have finished in the Top-15 in each of the last eight final AP polls, the only program in the nation to accomplish that feat. GU has ended the past eight seasons with an average ranking of 5.25, which tops the country.
Kansas topped the preseason poll for the second straight season with 30 of the 60 first-place votes. Alabama received 14 first-place votes and was second in the rankings. Two-time defending champion UConn was No. 3 with 11 first-place votes, and Houston (four first-place votes) and Iowa State rounded out the Top 5.
Gonzaga and UConn square off in the Hall of Fame Series in New York City on Dec. 14. The Zags welcome No. 8 Baylor to the Spokane Arena for the regular season opener on Nov. 4. No. 23 Kentucky and the Bulldogs meet in Seattle on Dec. 7, before Gonzaga plays No. 22 UCLA in the West Coast Hoops Showdown in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 28.
Arizona and Indiana are potential opponents in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Arizona is ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Top 25, while Indiana is 17. Arizona State (Nov. 10), San Diego State (Nov. 18), and Saint Mary's (Feb. 1 and Feb. 22) all were receiving votes in the poll.
Gonzaga's first exhibition against USC in Palm Desert, Calif., is on Oct. 26.
2024-25 Preseason AP Top 25
| RANKING |
TEAM |
POINTS |
PREVIOUS |
| 1 |
Kansas (30) |
1,449 |
19 |
| 2 |
Alabama (14) |
1,428 |
3 |
| 3 |
UConn (11) |
1,345 |
1 |
| 4 |
Houston (4) |
1,343 |
3 |
| 5 |
Iowa State |
1,177 |
8 |
| 6 |
Gonzaga (1) |
1,157 |
15 |
| 7 |
Duke |
1,154 |
9 |
| 8 |
Baylor |
1,109 |
16 |
| 9 |
North Carolina |
1,037 |
7 |
| 10 |
Arizona |
905 |
11 |
| 11 |
Auburn |
901 |
18 |
| 12 |
Tennessee |
775 |
5 |
| 13 |
Texas A&M |
737 |
NR |
| 14 |
Purdue |
678 |
2 |
| 15 |
Creighton |
631 |
13 |
| 16 |
Arkansas |
625 |
NR |
| 17 |
Indiana |
492 |
NR |
| 18 |
Marquette |
484 |
12 |
| 19 |
Texas |
332 |
NR |
| 20 |
Cincinnati |
271 |
NR |
| 21 |
Florida |
249 |
NR |
| 22 |
UCLA |
210 |
NR |
| 23 |
Kentucky |
191 |
20 |
| 24 |
Ole Miss |
132 |
NR |
| 25 |
Rutgers |
102 |
NR |
Others receiving votes: Illinois 92, St. John's 91, Xavier 73, Texas Tech 58, Wake Forest 37, Kansas St 30, Michigan St. 29, Ohio St. 29, Michigan 19, BYU 14, Oregon 12, McNeese St. 11, Miami 11, Boise St. 9, Saint Louis 9, Clemson 9, Providence 9, Mississippi St. 6, VCU 6, Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary's 5, Louisville 4, UAB 4, Ark Little Rock 3, Grand Canyon 3, Arizona St 2, San Diego St. 2, Princeton 2, High Point 1, Maryland 1
