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

The Bulldogs moved up one spot in the most recent poll released ahead of San Diego State game

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

For the first time in two years, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team is ranked inside the top three of the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Coming off a 59-point win over UMass-Lowell on Friday, the Bulldogs (3-0) earned two first-place votes from the panel and leapfrogged one spot to No. 3 in the most recent AP poll released Monday. Kansas held onto its spot atop the rankings, while UConn also climbed one spot to No. 2, which was previously held by Alabama prior to its 87-78 loss on the road to Purdue at Mackey Arena on Friday The loss dropped the Crimson Tide down six spots to No. 8, while the Boilermakers advanced all the way up to No. 6.

The Jayhawks earned five first-place votes, though the Huskies had seven. No. 4 Auburn received three votes. Iowa State climbed two spots to round out the top five.

A thrilling 77-72 win over then-No. 6 Duke in the Champions Classic catapulted Mark Pope and Kentucky into the top 10 at No. 9. The Wildcats overcame a monster game from Blue Devils freshman Cooper Flagg (26 points, 12 rebounds) to come away with their first win in the Champions Classic since 2020. Gonzaga and Kentucky meet in Seattle on Dec. 7.

Duke bounced back with an 86-35 win over Wofford at home, setting up a matchup between top 20 teams on Friday when the Blue Devils head to Tucson, Arizona, to take on Tommy Lloyd and the No. 17 Wildcats. Arizona dropped eight spots to No. 17 after it lost 103-88 on the road to Wisconsin, which entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 19. 

Baylor remains in the top 15 at No. 13, followed by Creighton, Marquette and Indiana. The Bears were one of six Big 12 teams featured in the poll, though the SEC led all conferences with seven representatives. The Big Ten had five, followed by the Big East with four and the ACC two.

Arizona State, which came up short 88-80 at Gonzaga last week, received two votes but missed the top 25 cut. The Sun Devils followed the loss in Spokane with an impressive 87-76 win over Grand Canyon, then an 81-66 victory over St. Thomas.

The Zags rolled by the River Hawks, 113-54, while Khalif Battle’s 21 points led six players who scored in double figures for the home team. Nolan Hickman knocked down four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points. Ryan Nembhard continued his efficient start to the season with 13 points, eight assists and zero turnovers. The senior guard is up to 30 assists to just two turnovers heading into Monday’s pivotal matchup at San Diego State (7 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network).

AP Top 25 poll (Week 3):

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

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. UMass-Lowell

• Will San Diego State's Miles Byrd play vs. Gonzaga?

• What San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said about Gonzaga matchup

• Virginia transfer Jalen Warley on Gonzaga visit: ‘I’m really liking it’

• Gonzaga locks in for blowout victory over UMass-Lowell: 3 takeaways

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard finds Michael Ajayi for two-hand dunk
  

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