Is Gonzaga a top-5 team? Dan Dickau believes they could be

Former All-American breaks down how the Bulldogs can take advantage of their difficult nonconference schedule

Most of the college basketball world doesn't view the Gonzaga Bulldogs as one of the five best teams in the country. The preseason polls have Mark Few's team ranked anywhere from No. 11 to No. 19 in the country. But the Zags could move up the polls quickly with a strong start to the season. 

The Bulldogs have at least four preseason AP Top 25 opponents on their nonconference schedule, with the potential for two more at the Maui Invitational. Gonzaga faces Purdue in the first round of the tournament, with No. 9 Tennessee or Syracuse (105th in KenPom) on the same side of the bracket. Then it's likely one of either No. 1 Kansas, No. 5 Marquette or UCLA (26th in KenPom) to conclude the event.

On the latest episode of the Gonzaga Nation podcast, Dan Dickau believes that if the Bulldogs come out as winners of the Maui Invitational, they could be ranked near the top five in the polls heading into December.

Produced by Christian Pedersen.

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