Zags Ranked No. 15 in Preseason AP Poll
10/19/2026 9:52:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Gonzaga appears in AP Preseason Poll for 17th straight year
SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men's basketball was ranked No. 15 in the preseason Associated Press poll, released Monday. The Bulldogs received 637 points in the preseason rankings.
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This marks the 26th straight season GU has been ranked in the AP Poll and the 17th consecutive year the Zags have appeared in the preseason poll. Gonzaga joins Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky as the only programs to appear in each of the last 17 preseason AP Polls.
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The Bulldogs have appeared in 187 of the last 214 AP Polls (92 percent) since the start of the 2016 season, ranking third-most in the nation over that span. Gonzaga has averaged a No. 7.7 ranking in the AP Polls since 2017.
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Florida topped the preseason poll, earning 47 of the 59 first-place votes. Duke received 10 first-place votes and was ranked second. Illinois received the other two first place votes and was third. UConn and Arizona rounded out the top five.
Florida topped the preseason poll, earning 47 of the 59 first-place votes. Duke received 10 first-place votes and was ranked second. Illinois received the other two first place votes and was third. UConn and Arizona rounded out the top five.
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Gonzaga faces Duke in the Prime College Hoops Showcase on Feb. 20 in Detroit, Mich. The Bulldogs square off with Michigan State on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs, Calif. The Spartans were just out of the Top 5, entering the season at No. 6 in the poll.
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The Zags open the regular season against Purdue on Nov. 2, in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. The Boilermakers were three spots outside the Top 25, receiving 53 votes. On Dec. 5, GU will play No. 22 UCLA in Anaheim, Calif. Fellow Pac-12 Conference member, Utah State, received votes in the poll as well. Gonzaga and the Aggies play on Jan. 21 and Feb. 13.
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The Players Era 16 tournament in Las Vegas features nine teams ranked in the preseason poll: No. 8 Tennessee, No. 11 Louisville, No. 13 St. John's, No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 16 Michigan, No. 18 Iowa State, No. 19 Texas Tech, and No. 20 Alabama. GU could meet Alabama in their second game in the Players Era tournament on Nov. 26.
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Gonzaga travels to No. 12 Arkansas in a season-opening exhibition Saturday at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. 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 AP Top 25 Poll
Others receiving votes:
Missouri 167, Nebraska 70, Purdue 53, Ohio State 39, North Carolina 20, TCU 17, Saint Louis 13, VCU 12, Iowa 12, Virginia Tech 10, Indiana 8, Texas A&M 6, Villanova 6, Auburn 4, Marquette 3, Nevada 2, Grand Canyon 2, Utah State 2, Santa Clara 1
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This marks the 26th straight season GU has been ranked in the AP Poll and the 17th consecutive year the Zags have appeared in the preseason poll. Gonzaga joins Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky as the only programs to appear in each of the last 17 preseason AP Polls.
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The Bulldogs have appeared in 187 of the last 214 AP Polls (92 percent) since the start of the 2016 season, ranking third-most in the nation over that span. Gonzaga has averaged a No. 7.7 ranking in the AP Polls since 2017.
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Florida topped the preseason poll, earning 47 of the 59 first-place votes. Duke received 10 first-place votes and was ranked second. Illinois received the other two first place votes and was third. UConn and Arizona rounded out the top five.
Florida topped the preseason poll, earning 47 of the 59 first-place votes. Duke received 10 first-place votes and was ranked second. Illinois received the other two first place votes and was third. UConn and Arizona rounded out the top five.
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Gonzaga faces Duke in the Prime College Hoops Showcase on Feb. 20 in Detroit, Mich. The Bulldogs square off with Michigan State on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs, Calif. The Spartans were just out of the Top 5, entering the season at No. 6 in the poll.
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The Zags open the regular season against Purdue on Nov. 2, in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. The Boilermakers were three spots outside the Top 25, receiving 53 votes. On Dec. 5, GU will play No. 22 UCLA in Anaheim, Calif. Fellow Pac-12 Conference member, Utah State, received votes in the poll as well. Gonzaga and the Aggies play on Jan. 21 and Feb. 13.
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The Players Era 16 tournament in Las Vegas features nine teams ranked in the preseason poll: No. 8 Tennessee, No. 11 Louisville, No. 13 St. John's, No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 16 Michigan, No. 18 Iowa State, No. 19 Texas Tech, and No. 20 Alabama. GU could meet Alabama in their second game in the Players Era tournament on Nov. 26.
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Gonzaga travels to No. 12 Arkansas in a season-opening exhibition Saturday at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. 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 AP Top 25 Poll
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS |
| 1 | Florida (47) | 1,461 |
| 2 | Duke (10) | 1,411 |
| 3 | Illinois (2) | 1,342 |
| 4 | UConn | 1,241 |
| 5 | Arizona | 1,214 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 1,203 |
| 7 | Texas | 1,040 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 932 |
| 9 | Virginia | 874 |
| 10 | Houston | 829 |
| 11 | Louisville | 822 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 760 |
| 13 | St. John's | 669 |
| 14 | Miami (FL) | 650 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 637 |
| 16 | Michigan | 605 |
| 17 | Kansas | 504 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 475 |
| 19 | Texas Tech | 466 |
| 20 | Alabama | 374 |
| 21 | Southern Cal | 306 |
| 22 | UCLA | 250 |
| 23 | Kentucky | 243 |
| 24 | Vanderbilt | 241 |
| 25 | BYU | 179 |
Missouri 167, Nebraska 70, Purdue 53, Ohio State 39, North Carolina 20, TCU 17, Saint Louis 13, VCU 12, Iowa 12, Virginia Tech 10, Indiana 8, Texas A&M 6, Villanova 6, Auburn 4, Marquette 3, Nevada 2, Grand Canyon 2, Utah State 2, Santa Clara 1
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