Men’s college basketball rankings: Gonzaga drops to No. 13 in AP Top 25 poll following loss to UConn

The Bulldogs tumbled five spots after they lost 77-71 to the Huskies at Madison Square Garden

Gonzaga dropped to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 poll after it lost 77-71 to UConn, which moved up to No. 11 / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

After suffering consecutive losses for the first time in six years, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have fallen outside of the top 10 of the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

The Zags (7-3) tumbled five spots to No. 13 in the most recent media poll, two days following their 77-71 letdown to UConn at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The Huskies (8-3) — who jump to No. 11 — were led by a career-high 26 points from freshman Liam McNeely, while the Bulldogs failed to convert around the rim when it mattered most down the stretch. Similar to how they came up short to Kentucky — now at No. 4 in the poll — in Seattle on Dec. 7.

In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Gonzaga checked in at No. 14. Despite back-to-back defeats, the Bulldogs are still seen as a top 10 team in the NET (No. 4), Barttorvik.com (No. 5) and KenPom.com (No. 6).

Tennessee held its position firmly at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll while receiving 50 of the 62 first-place votes. The Volunteers (10-0) are one of five unbeaten teams left in Division I and one of three from the SEC, joining No. 7 Florida (10-0) and No. 14 Oklahoma (10-0). No. 2 Auburn received the other 12 first-place votes, while Iowa State, Kentucky and Duke rounded out the top five. 

The No. 4 Wildcats and No. 5 Blue Devils switched spots from where they ranked in last week’s poll — an understandable move considering Kentucky beat Duke, 77-72, in the Champions Classic earlier this season.

UCLA catapulted six spots to No. 18, the program’s highest positioning in the AP poll since it came in at No. 7 in the last poll of the 2022-23 campaign. The Bruins are coming off back-to-back victories away from home against Oregon and Arizona. Mick Cronin’s group has one more test before they face Gonzaga at the Intuit Dome on Dec. 28, as they’ll take on North Carolina at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21.

San Diego State maintained its hold on the No. 23 spot in the poll, while Baylor, West Virginia, Arizona State and Indiana all received votes from the panel.

AP Top 25 poll (Week 7):

1. Tennessee (10-0)
2. Auburn (9-1)
3. Iowa State (9-1)
4. Kentucky (10-1)
5. Duke (8-2)
6. Alabama (8-2)
7. Florida (10-0)
8. Kansas (8-2)
9. Marquette (9-2)
10. Oregon (10-1)
11. UConn (8-3)
12. Texas A&M (9-2)
13. Gonzaga (7-3)
14. Oklahoma (10-0)
15. Houston (6-3)
16. Purdue (8-3)
17. Ole Miss (9-1)
18. UCLA (9-1)
19. Cincinnati (8-1)
20. Michigan State (8-2)
21. Memphis (8-2)
22. Dayton (9-2)
23. San Diego State (7-2)
24. Michigan (8-2)
25. Clemson (9-2)

Others receiving votes:
Mississippi St. 158, Arkansas 151, Missouri 120, Baylor 115, Illinois 70, Drake 52, St. John's 50, Utah St. 48, Pittsburgh 28, Maryland 24, West Virginia 19, Wisconsin 18, Georgia 18, Oklahoma St. 16, Arizona St 14, Creighton 12, North Carolina 9, Penn St. 8, Indiana 7, Texas 3, St. Bonaventure 2.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• Gonzaga goes cold from the field in loss to UConn at Madison Square Garden: 3 takeaways

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after loss to UConn at Madison Square Garden

• What Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard said after UConn loss

• UConn Huskies 77, Gonzaga Bulldogs 71 : Live score recap, highlights from men's college basketball game

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