Gonzaga ranked No. 7 in CBS Sports’ 2024-25 Preseason Top 25 and 1

Bulldogs figure to be a top 10 team in 2024-25 according to some credible outlets

Both Ben Gregg (33) and Ryan Nembhard (0) should be back for Gonzaga next season. / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Featuring what should be an experienced roster, the Gonzaga Bulldogs checked in at No. 7 in CBS Sports’ Top 25 and 1 rankings for the 2024-25 college basketball season. 

Following a ninth straight appearance in the Sweet 16, Mark Few is expected to return most of his 2023-24 squad except for fifth-year senior Anton Watson. The Zags could welcome 6-foot-7 wing Michael Ajayi, an All-WCC player at Pepperdine last season, if he doesn’t follow through with the NBA Draft. Steele Venters, who won Big Sky Player of the Year in 2022-23, is expected to be back in the mix after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. All those pieces together garner high expectations from the national audience.

Here’s what CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish had to say about the Bulldogs in his rankings.

This ranking is based on Mark Few's Zags returning every rotation piece besides Anton Watson from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga should be back in the NCAA Tournament for an incredible 26th straight time next March.

Parrish is far from the only credible source to rank the Zags inside the top 10 teams heading into the offseason. ESPN, The Athletic, and 247Sports had Gonzaga at No. 2 in their respective rankings, while FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated and The Field of 68 had it hovering around the top five. 

After an 11-5 start to the season, the Bulldogs won 15 of their last 18 games while posting the third-best offensive efficiency numbers in that span. Their 59.8% effective field goal percentage in that stretch ranked No. 1 in the nation and they posted the second-best turnover rate at 12.2%. Gonzaga shot 59.7% on 2-pointers and 40.1% on 3-point attempts, both of which were top-10 in the country.