Men’s college basketball rankings: Gonzaga holds No. 3 spot in Associated Press Top 25 poll

The Bulldogs remain in the top five of the poll heading into the Battle 4 Atlantis

Gonzaga men's basketball team. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The Gonzaga men’s basketball team will head into the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament as the No. 3 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Two other ranked teams are down in Paradise Island, The Bahamas, with the Bulldogs, who along with the rest of the top five of the poll, didn’t move up or down from last week’s edition. No. 14 Indiana, which could face the Zags on day two, climbed into the top 15 following its 4-0 start. Arizona, meanwhile, tumbled seven spots down to No. 24 in the wake of its 69-55 loss at home to No. 11 Duke. The Wildcats and Bulldogs could clash on the final day of the multi-team event — though Gonzaga’s head coach is more locked in on tackling West Virginia on day one (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., ESPN).

“We just need to win,” Few said after the Bulldogs beat Long Beach State on Nov. 20. “If you start doing all the bracket projections, you get in a lot of trouble in these little multi [team] events, because they're on a neutral floor.”

Kansas remained firmly at No. 1 with 51 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 UConn (four) and No. 4 Auburn (three). The Bulldogs received two first-place votes but had 1428 total points to the Tigers’ 1393.

Marquette joined the top 10 after Kam Jones led the Golden Eagles to an impressive victory over then-No. 6 Purdue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last Tuesday. David Joplin scored 29 points to guide Marquette past Georgia in The Bahamas over the weekend.

Tennessee jumped into the top 10 to No. 7 after the Volunteers raced by Baylor, 77-62, on Friday. The Bears, meanwhile, got pushed down to No. 17.

The Boilermakers dropped down to No. 13 following the loss. Likewise, No. 21 Creighton took a seven-spot hit due to a 74-63 defeat to in-state rival Nebraska at home on Friday.

Saint Mary’s just barely missed the cut for the top 25. The Gaels received 52 votes from the panel, as Randy Bennett and company are off to a 6-0 start with a notable win over Nebraska in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Nov. 17. UCLA, which plays Gonzaga at the Intuit Dome on Dec. 28, received five votes, as did Arizona State.

AP Top 25 poll (Week 4):

1. Kansas (5-0)
2. UConn (4-0)
3. Gonzaga (5-0)
4. Auburn (4-0)
5. Iowa State (3-0)
6. Houston (3-1)
7. Tennessee (6-0)
8. Kentucky (5-0)
9. Alabama (4-1)
10. Marquette (6-0)
11. Duke (4-1)
12. North Carolina (3-1)
13. Purdue (5-1)
14. Indiana (4-0)
15. Wisconsin (7-0)
16. Cincinnati (3-0)
17. Baylor (4-2)
18. Florida (6-0)
19. Arkansas (4-1)
20. Texas A&M (4-1)
21. Creighton (4-1)
22. Xavier (5-0)
23. Ole Miss (5-0
24. Arizona (2-2)
25. Mississippi State (5-0)

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• Gonzaga lands Virginia transfer Jalen Warley

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. Long Beach State

• Highlights from Gonzaga's win vs. Long Beach State

• Mark Few praises Gonzaga's defense: ‘Guys are playing with great effort’

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard rises to the challenge his senior year: 'It was time for a big jump'

• Gonzaga bigs Graham Ike and Braden Huff are wearing out defenses: 'You're not getting a break'

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