Gonzaga Ranked No. 12 in Preseason USA Today/Coaches Poll
10/19/2026 5:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bulldogs appear in Coaches’ Preseason poll for 17th straight year
SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men's basketball was ranked No. 12 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports/Coaches poll.
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Gonzaga opens in the top 20 of the poll for the 14th straight year. GU appears in the Coaches' preseason poll for the 17th consecutive season.
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Florida received 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes to earn the preseason No. 1 ranking. Duke earned eight first-place votes and is ranked second. Illinois is No. 3, receiving the other two first-place votes. Arizona and UConn round out the top five.
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Michigan State, Gonzaga's opponent on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs, Calif., enters the season ranked No. 6. The Zags open the regular season against No. 24 Purdue in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas on Nov. 2.
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Gonzaga travels to No. 12 Arkansas for a season-opening exhibition Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network Plus, with live radio and stats available at GoZags.com.
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2026-27 Preseason USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll
Others receiving votes:
Nebraska 66, UCLA 64, Missouri 60, Ohio State 31, North Carolina 24, Texas A&M 19, Villanova 14, Indiana 9, Wisconsin 5, Cincinnati 4, Saint Louis 4, West Virginia 2, Creighton 2, Maryland 1, Auburn 1
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Gonzaga opens in the top 20 of the poll for the 14th straight year. GU appears in the Coaches' preseason poll for the 17th consecutive season.
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Florida received 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes to earn the preseason No. 1 ranking. Duke earned eight first-place votes and is ranked second. Illinois is No. 3, receiving the other two first-place votes. Arizona and UConn round out the top five.
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Michigan State, Gonzaga's opponent on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs, Calif., enters the season ranked No. 6. The Zags open the regular season against No. 24 Purdue in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas on Nov. 2.
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Gonzaga travels to No. 12 Arkansas for a season-opening exhibition Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network Plus, with live radio and stats available at GoZags.com.
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2026-27 Preseason USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll
| RK | Team | REC | PTS |
| 1 | Florida (20) | 0-0 | 732 |
| 2 | Duke (8) | 0-0 | 725 |
| 3 | Illinois (2) | 0-0 | 683 |
| 4 | Arizona | 0-0 | 634 |
| 5 | UConn | 0-0 | 612 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 0-0 | 570 |
| 7 | Texas | 0-0 | 527 |
| 8 | Houston | 0-0 | 486 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 0-0 | 436 |
| 10 | Virginia | 0-0 | 409 |
| 11 | Louisville | 0-0 | 369 |
| 12 | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 361 |
| 13 | Arkansas | 0-0 | 345 |
| 14 | St. John's | 0-0 | 316 |
| 14 | Iowa State | 0-0 | 316 |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 0-0 | 314 |
| 17 | Miami | 0-0 | 292 |
| 18 | Kansas | 0-0 | 286 |
| 18 | Alabama | 0-0 | 286 |
| 20 | Michigan | 0-0 | 219 |
| 21 | Vanderbilt | 0-0 | 164 |
| 22 | USC | 0-0 | 103 |
| 23 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 100 |
| 24 | Purdue | 0-0 | 83 |
| 25 | BYU | 0-0 | 76 |
Nebraska 66, UCLA 64, Missouri 60, Ohio State 31, North Carolina 24, Texas A&M 19, Villanova 14, Indiana 9, Wisconsin 5, Cincinnati 4, Saint Louis 4, West Virginia 2, Creighton 2, Maryland 1, Auburn 1
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